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Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2021Benth (GEB), also known as heartbreak grass, is a highly poisonous plant belonging to the family and genus that has broad application prospects in medicine. This... (Review)
Review
Benth (GEB), also known as heartbreak grass, is a highly poisonous plant belonging to the family and genus that has broad application prospects in medicine. This article reviews its chemical components, pharmacological effects, toxicity mechanisms, and research progress in clinical applications in recent years. Indole alkaloids are the main active components of GEB and have a variety of pharmacological and biological functions. They have anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and immunomodulation properties, with the therapeutic dose being close to the toxic dose. Application of small-dose indole alkaloids fails to work effectively, while high-dose usage is prone to poisoning, aggravating the patient's conditions. Special caution is needed, especially to observe the changes in the disease condition of the patients in clinical practice. In-depth research on the chemical components and mechanisms of GEB is essential to the development of promising lead compounds and lays the foundation for extensive clinical application and safe usage of GEB in the future.
Topics: Analgesics; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antineoplastic Agents; Gelsemium; Humans; Immunomodulating Agents; Indole Alkaloids; Plant Extracts; Plants, Toxic
PubMed: 34885727
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26237145 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Jan 2019The industrial and technological advancements in the world have also contributed to the rapid deterioration in the environment quality through introduction of obnoxious... (Review)
Review
The industrial and technological advancements in the world have also contributed to the rapid deterioration in the environment quality through introduction of obnoxious pollutants that threaten to destroy the subtle balance in the ecosystem. The environment contaminants cause severe adverse effects to humans, flora and fauna that are mostly irreversible. Chief among these toxicants is arsenic, a metalloid, which is considered among the most dangerous environmental toxins that leads to various diseases which affect the quality of life even when present in small quantities. Treatment of arsenic-mediated disorders still remains a challenge due to lack of effective options. Chelation therapy has been the most widely used method to detoxify arsenic. But this method is associated with deleterious effects leading various toxicities such as hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity and other adverse effects. It has been discovered that indigenous drugs of plant origin display effective and progressive relief from arsenic-mediated toxicity without any side-effects. Further, these phytochemicals have also been found to aid the elimination of arsenic from the biological system and therefore can be more effective than conventional therapeutic agents in ameliorating arsenic-mediated toxicity. This review presents an overview of the toxic effects of arsenic and the therapeutic strategies that are available to mitigate the toxic effects with emphasis on chelation as well as protective and detoxifying activities of different phytochemicals and herbal drugs against arsenic. This information may serve as a primer in identifying novel prophylactic as well as therapeutic formulations against arsenic-induced toxicity.
Topics: Animals; Arsenic; Arsenic Poisoning; Biological Products; Chelating Agents; Environmental Pollutants; Humans; Phytochemicals; Plant Extracts; Plant Preparations; Reactive Oxygen Species
PubMed: 30551538
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.10.099 -
Electronic Physician Apr 2018, known as Kafesheh (Persian) and safflower (English) is vastly utilized in Traditional Medicine for various medical conditions, namely dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
, known as Kafesheh (Persian) and safflower (English) is vastly utilized in Traditional Medicine for various medical conditions, namely dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain and mass, trauma and pain of joints. It is largely used for flavoring and coloring purposes among the local population. Recent reviews have addressed the uses of the plant in various ethnomedical systems.
OBJECTIVE
This review was an update to provide a summary on the botanical features, uses in Iranian folklore and modern medical applications of safflower.
METHODS
A main database containing important early published texts written in Persian, together with electronic papers was established on ethnopharmacology and modern pharmacology of C. tinctorius. Literature review was performed on the years from 1937 to 2016 in Web of Science, PubMed, Scientific Information Database, Google Scholar, and Scopus for the terms "Kafesheh", "safflower", "Carthamus tinctorius", and so forth.
RESULTS
Safflower is an indispensable element of Iranian folklore medicine, with a variety of applications due to laxative effects. Also, it was recommended as treatment for rheumatism and paralysis, vitiligo and black spots, psoriasis, mouth ulcers, phlegm humor, poisoning, numb limbs, melancholy humor, and the like. According to the modern pharmacological and clinical examinations, safflower provides promising opportunities for the amelioration of myocardial ischemia, coagulation, thrombosis, inflammation, toxicity, cancer, and so forth. However, there have been some reports on its undesirable effects on male and female fertility. Most of these beneficial therapeutic effects were correlated to hydroxysafflor yellow A.
CONCLUSION
More attention should be drawn to the lack of a thorough phytochemical investigation. The potential implications of safflower based on Persian traditional medicine, such as the treatment of rheumatism and paralysis, vitiligo and black spots, psoriasis, mouth ulcers, phlegm humor, poisoning, numb limbs, and melancholy humor warrant further consideration.
PubMed: 29881530
DOI: 10.19082/6672 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Dec 2023One of the possible roles of secondary plant metabolites, including toxins, is facilitating plant-animal communication. Lethal cases of pasture poisoning show that the... (Review)
Review
One of the possible roles of secondary plant metabolites, including toxins, is facilitating plant-animal communication. Lethal cases of pasture poisoning show that the message is not always successfully conveyed. As the focus of poisoning lies in the clinical aspects, the external circumstances of pasture poisoning are widely unknown. To document poisoning conditions in cattle, sheep, goats, and horses on pastures and to compile a checklist of plants involved in either poisoning or co-existence (zero poisoning), published case reports were evaluated as primary sources. The number of affected animal individuals was estimated within abundance classes from 0 to more than 100. The checklist of poisonous plants comprised 52 taxa. Of these, 13 taxa were deemed safe (no reference was found indicating poisoning), 11 taxa were associated with evidence-based zero poisoning (positive list), and 28 taxa were associated with poisoning (negative list). Nine plant taxa caused poisoning in more than 100 animal individuals. Zero poisoning accounted for 40% and poisoning accounted for 60% of a total of 85 cases. Poisoning was most often associated with a limited choice of feed (24.7%), followed by overgrazing (12.9%), seasonally scarce feed (10.6%), and co-ingestion of grass (4.7%). Hunger interferes with plant-animal co-existence, while zero poisoning improves it. In conclusion, poisonous plants in pastures may communicate their toxicity if the animals have enough alternative feed plants. An individual animal might utterly perceive the communication of toxicity by the plant species but be forced to ignore the message owing to a limited choice of feed options.
PubMed: 38136831
DOI: 10.3390/ani13243795 -
Hong Kong Medical Journal = Xianggang... Apr 2019Hong Kong has a great diversity of plants, many of which are toxic to humans. The aim of this study was to identify the plant species most commonly involved in cases of...
INTRODUCTION
Hong Kong has a great diversity of plants, many of which are toxic to humans. The aim of this study was to identify the plant species most commonly involved in cases of plant poisoning in Hong Kong and to provide clinicians with a reference tool for the diagnosis and management of plant poisoning.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed all plant poisoning cases referred to the Hospital Authority Toxicology Reference Laboratory from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2017. Demographics, clinical presentation, laboratory findings, treatment and outcomes of patients, as well as morphological identification and analytical testing of the plant specimens, were investigated.
RESULTS
A total of 62 cases involving 26 poisonous plant species were identified, among which (Giant Alocasia), (Graceful Jessamine), and (Azalea) species were the three most commonly encountered. Gastrointestinal toxicity (n=30, 48%), neurological toxicity (n=22, 35%), and hepatotoxicity (n=6, 10%) were the three most common clinical problems. Forty-nine (79%) and eight (13%) patients had mild and moderate toxicity, respectively; they all recovered shortly with supportive treatment. The remaining five (8%) patients experienced severe toxicity requiring intensive care support. Most patients (n=61, 98%) used the plants intentionally: as a medicinal herb (n=31), as food (n=29), and for attempting suicide (n=1). Reasons for using the poisonous plants included misidentification (n=34, 55%), unawareness of the toxicity (n=20, 32%), and contamination (n=6, 10%).
CONCLUSIONS
Although most plant exposure resulted in a self-limiting disease, severe poisonings were encountered. Epidemiology of plant poisonings is geographically specific. Clinicians should be aware of local poisonous plants and their toxicities.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Hong Kong; Humans; Infant; Male; Middle Aged; Plant Poisoning; Plant Preparations; Plants, Toxic; Retrospective Studies; Young Adult
PubMed: 30967518
DOI: 10.12809/hkmj187745 -
Toxins Nov 2022is one of the most poisonous plants, and its accidental ingestion has frequently occurred in humans and livestock. It is vital to develop a rapid and accurate...
is one of the most poisonous plants, and its accidental ingestion has frequently occurred in humans and livestock. It is vital to develop a rapid and accurate identification method for the timely rescue of oleander-poisoned patients and the investigation of poisoning cases. In this study, a specific and highly sensitive quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR)-based method was developed to identify oleander in mixture systems and simulated forensic specimens (SFS). First, a new pair of oleander-specific primers, JZT-BF/BR, was designed and validated. Then, a qPCR method was developed using the primers, and its detective sensitivity was examined. The results showed that JZT-BF/BR could specifically identify oleander in forage and food mixtures, and qPCR was capable of accurate authentication even at a low DNA concentration of 0.001 ng/μL. This method was further applied to the analysis of SFS containing different ratios of . The method was confirmed to be applicable to digested samples, and the detection limit reached 0.1% (/) oleander in mixture systems. Thus, this study undoubtedly provides strong support for the detection of highly toxic oleander and the diagnosis of food poisoning in humans and animals.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Nerium; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Poisons; Plants, Toxic; DNA Primers
PubMed: 36356026
DOI: 10.3390/toxins14110776 -
Anais Da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias 2021It is well known that several of the swainsonine-containing plant species found widespread around the world have a negative economic impact in each country. In... (Review)
Review
It is well known that several of the swainsonine-containing plant species found widespread around the world have a negative economic impact in each country. In Argentina, most of the information on the poisonous plant species that produce α-mannosidosis is published in Spanish and thus not available to most English-speaking researchers interested in toxic plants. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize the information about swainsonine-containing plants in Argentina, which are extensively distributed throughout different ecoregions of the country. To date, five species from three genera have been shown to induce α-mannosidosis in livestock in Argentina: Ipomoea carnea subsp. fistulosa, Ipomoea hieronymi subsp. calchaquina (Convolvulaceae), Astragalus garbancillo, Astragalus pehuenches (Fabaceae), and Sida rodrigoi (Malvaceae). These species contain the indolizidine alkaloid swainsonine, which inhibits the lysosomal enzyme α-mannosidase and consequently affects glycoprotein metabolism, resulting in partially metabolized sugars. The prolonged consumption of these poisonous plants produces progressive weight loss and clinical signs related to a nervous disorder, characterized by tremors of head and neck, abnormalities of gait, difficulty in standing, ataxia and wide-based stance. Histological lesions are mainly characterized by vacuolation of different cells, especially neurons of the central nervous system. The main animal model used to study α-mannosidosis is the guinea pig because, when experimentally poisoned, it exhibits many of the characteristics of naturally intoxicated livestock.
Topics: Animals; Argentina; Guinea Pigs; Plant Poisoning; Plants, Toxic; Ruminants; alpha-Mannosidosis
PubMed: 34787167
DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202120191496 -
Microbial Genomics Jan 2021is a bacterium with a broad ecology spanning disease in humans, animals and plants, but also encompassing multiple beneficial interactions. It is a plant pathogen, a...
is a bacterium with a broad ecology spanning disease in humans, animals and plants, but also encompassing multiple beneficial interactions. It is a plant pathogen, a toxin-producing food-poisoning agent, and causes lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Contrasting beneficial traits include antifungal production exploited by insects to protect their eggs, plant protective abilities and antibiotic biosynthesis. We explored the genomic diversity and specialized metabolic potential of 206 strains, phylogenomically defining 5 clades. Historical disease pathovars (pv.) pv. and pv. were distinct, while pv. and pv. were indistinguishable; soft-rot disease and CF infection were conserved across all pathovars. Biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) for toxoflavin, caryoynencin and enacyloxin were dispersed across , but bongkrekic acid and gladiolin production were clade-specific. Strikingly, 13 % of CF infection strains characterized were bongkrekic acid-positive, uniquely linking this food-poisoning toxin to this aspect of disease. Mapping the population biology and metabolite production of has shed light on its diverse ecology, and by demonstrating that the antibiotic trimethoprim suppresses bongkrekic acid production, a potential therapeutic strategy to minimize poisoning risk in CF has been identified.
Topics: Biosynthetic Pathways; Bongkrekic Acid; Burkholderia gladioli; Cystic Fibrosis; Food Microbiology; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Phylogeny; Plant Diseases; Trimethoprim; Whole Genome Sequencing
PubMed: 33459584
DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000515 -
Medicine Sep 2022Intentional or unintentional exposure to asphyxiating gases is a significant public health concern worldwide. Argon poisoning is fatal, and its onset is primarily due to...
RATIONALE
Intentional or unintentional exposure to asphyxiating gases is a significant public health concern worldwide. Argon poisoning is fatal, and its onset is primarily due to neurological damage.
PATIENT CONCERNS
A 22-year-old man was admitted to the hospital for argon gas poisoning. While working in a plant containing argon gas, he suddenly lost consciousness, recovered consciousness slightly after on-site treatment, answered questions, and had impaired memory, sensory dullness, normal cognition, and symptoms of dizziness and headache.
DIAGNOSIS
Asphyxiating gas poisoning (argon gas poisoning), metabolic encephalopathy, and hepatic insufficiency.
INTERVENTIONS
Immediately after admission, the patient was treated with nasal cannula oxygen 3 L/min and hyperbaric oxygen therapy once a day. Mecobalamin tablets 500 μg were given orally 3 times a day. Oral Ginkgo biloba extract tablets 40 mg 3 times a day.
OUTCOME
The patient was discharged after treatment with hyperbaric oxygen therapy and nerve-nourishing drugs, with no discomfort, clear consciousness, and good memory, and was followed up by telephone for 2 consecutive months, and the patient is now in good condition with no discomfort.
LESSON
This case describes the pathogenesis, neurological damage, and rescue process of argon gas poisoning. Argon poisoning was found to damage bilateral cerebellar hemispheres and bilateral hippocampal regions, affecting the patient's consciousness and memory, and was found to cause abnormal liver function and heart rate disorders.
Topics: Adult; Argon; Carbon Monoxide Poisoning; Gas Poisoning; Humans; Hyperbaric Oxygenation; Male; Oxygen; Young Adult
PubMed: 36086783
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000030491 -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Jun 2022Aconitum genus generally contains hypertoxic alkaloids. Poisoning incidents due to the improper ingestion of Aconitum materials frequently occur around the world. DNA...
Aconitum genus generally contains hypertoxic alkaloids. Poisoning incidents due to the improper ingestion of Aconitum materials frequently occur around the world. DNA barcoding is considered as a powerful tool for species identification, but complete sequences of conventional DNA barcodes are sometimes unattainable from food and highly processed products due to severe DNA degradation. Therefore, a shorter molecular marker will be more profitable for the authentication and poisoning diagnosis of Aconitum materials. In this study, 1246 psbA-trnH sequences and chloroplast genomes representing 183 taxa of Aconitum were collected, and a 23-bp nucleotide signature unique to Aconitum genus (5'-TATATGAGTCATTGAAGTTGCAG-3') was developed. The nucleotide signature was conserved and universal within Aconitum while divergent among other genera. The specific molecular signature was then successfully applied to the detection of processed Aconitum ingredients. To further evaluate the application potential of nucleotide signature in completely unknown mixture samples, boiled food mixtures, containing different ratios of Aconitum materials, were sequenced by high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that the nucleotide signature sequence could be directly extracted from raw sequencing data, even at a low DNA concentration of 0.2 ng/µl. Consequently, the 23-bp genus-specific nucleotide signature represents a significant step forward in the use of DNA barcoding to identify processed samples and food mixtures with degraded DNA. This study undoubtedly provides a new perspective and strong support for the identification and detection of Aconitum-containing products, which can be further introduced to the diagnosis of food poisoning.
Topics: Aconitum; Alkaloids; Genome, Chloroplast; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Nucleotides
PubMed: 35489139
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113539