Indospicine is an amino acid not found in proteins, which occurs in Indigofera species.

Dogs are particularly sensitive to the toxic effect and can sicken or die after eating a grazing animal that has eaten Indigofera.

M. P. Hegarty, and A. W. Pound performed experiments to isolate the toxin by examining its effect on mouse livers.

They used absorption dialysis and paper chromatography to separate chemical components from seeds, focusing on strong bases.

With nitroprusside-alkaline ferricyanide reagent a yellow colour is produced, indicating it is not a guanidine derivative.