med botany ch 3 and 4

What are phytochemicals?

Plant-derived chemicals.

What are phytomedicines?

Phytochemicals that help prevent health disorders and/or maintain health in the human body.

What are the two major categories of plant metabolites?

Primary metabolites and secondary metabolites.

Which type of metabolites contains most medicinal plant active compounds?

Secondary metabolites.

Why are secondary metabolites important to plants?

They act as defensive agents and help the plant survive.

What determines the medicinal value of a plant?

Its active compounds.

Why can the chemical profile of a medicinal plant vary?

It can vary between species, plant organs, developmental stages, and individual plants.

What are the two major groups of secondary metabolites?

Nitrogen-containing substances and non-nitrogen-containing substances.

Which class of nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites is most important in this chapter?

Alkaloids.

What is an alkaloid?

A basic plant product that may be crystalline or liquid.

Approximately what percentage of plants contain alkaloids as active compounds?

About 15%.

Name four plant families known for containing many alkaloids.

Colchicaceae, Apocynaceae, Rubiaceae, and Solanaceae.

True or False: Most alkaloids are toxic at high concentrations.

True.

What types of medicinal effects can alkaloids have?

Analgesic, stimulant, local anesthetic, antispasmodic, antihypertensive, antitumor, and muscle-paralyzing effects.

What is the scientific name of the opium poppy?

Papaver somniferum.

Where is Papaver somniferum native to?

Southeastern Europe and western Asia.

Which plant part of Papaver somniferum provides its medicinal compounds?

The coagulated latex from the ripened capsules.

Which two important alkaloids are obtained from Papaver somniferum?

Morphine and codeine.

What is morphine primarily used for?

Pain relief and as a hypnotic.

What is codeine primarily used for?

A cough suppressant and mild sedative.

How are morphine and codeine classified?

Depressant narcotics.

What is the scientific name of the plant that contains strychnine and brucine?

Strychnos nux-vomica.

Where is Strychnos nux-vomica native to?

South Asia.

Which part of Strychnos nux-vomica is used in homeopathy?

The seeds.

Which two highly toxic alkaloids are found in Strychnos nux-vomica?

Strychnine and brucine.

What is strychnine used for today?

Physiological and neuroanatomical research.

What traditional medicinal use did strychnine have?

To increase appetite and digestion as a tonic.

What is brucine used for?

As an alcohol denaturant.

Which South American plant produces toxiferine?

Strychnos toxifera.

What is toxiferine used for?

To prevent muscle contraction during surgery.

Which plant is the source of cocaine?

Erythroxylum coca.

Which part of Erythroxylum coca is used medicinally?

The leaves (Cocae folium).

About how many alkaloids are found in coca leaves?

About 14 alkaloids.

What are the two major effects of cocaine?

Local anesthetic and euphoric.

What major risk is associated with cocaine use?

Physiological dependence.

Why is cocaine rarely used in modern medicine?

It has largely been replaced by synthetic local anesthetics.

What is the scientific name of deadly nightshade?

Atropa belladonna.

Where is Atropa belladonna native to?

Europe and Asia.

Which parts of Atropa belladonna contain belladonna alkaloids?

The leaves and roots.

What is the primary alkaloid found in Atropa belladonna?

Atropine.

What is atropine commonly used to treat?

Bradycardia and hyperhidrosis.

Which belladonna alkaloid is used to treat gastrointestinal disorders?

Hyoscyamine.

What effect do belladonna alkaloids have at low doses?

Sedative effects.

What effect do belladonna alkaloids have at high doses?

Hallucinations.

Belladonna alkaloids are also found in members of which plant family?

The nightshade family (Solanaceae).

What is the scientific name of the medicinal plant used to treat hypertension?

Rauwolfia serpentina.

Where is Rauwolfia serpentina native to?

India and nearby regions.

What medical condition is Rauwolfia primarily used to treat?

Mild hypertension (high blood pressure).

Which plant part of Rauwolfia serpentina is traditionally used?

The root (root decoction).

Besides hypertension, what other condition has Rauwolfia alkaloids been used to treat?

Certain mental disorders.

What is the scientific name of the Chinese plant with anticancer alkaloids?

Camptotheca acuminata.

Which parts of Camptotheca acuminata contain the medicinal alkaloid?

The bark and leaves.

Who discovered the alkaloid from Camptotheca acuminata in 1966?

Drs. Wall and Wani.

Camptotheca acuminata has shown favorable results in treating what type of diseases?

A variety of cancers, including malignant melanoma.

True or False: Synthetic variants of Camptotheca alkaloids have been developed.

True.

What is the scientific name of the South American plant used as an adjunct in anesthesia?

Chondrodendron tomentosum.

How is Chondrodendron tomentosum used in medicine?

As an adjunct during anesthesia.

What effect does the crude extract of Chondrodendron tomentosum have?

It reverses strychnine poisoning.

Which type of plant metabolites are responsible for most medicinal activity?

Secondary metabolites.

Professor-style question: Which medicinal plant is the source of morphine and codeine?

Papaver somniferum.

Professor-style question: Which medicinal plant contains atropine?

Atropa belladonna.

Professor-style question: Which medicinal plant is associated with hypertension treatment?

Rauwolfia serpentina.

Professor-style question: Which medicinal plant produces cocaine?

Erythroxylum coca.

Professor-style question: Which medicinal plant produces toxiferine?

Strychnos toxifera.

Professor-style question: Which medicinal plant contains strychnine and brucine?

Strychnos nux-vomica.

Professor-style question: Which medicinal plant is associated with anticancer alkaloids discovered by Drs. Wall and Wani?

Camptotheca acuminata.

Professor-style question: Which medicinal plant is used as an adjunct in anesthesia?

Chondrodendron tomentosum.

Who discovered the alkaloid from Camptotheca acuminata in 1966?

Drs. Wall and Wani.

What chemotherapy drugs were developed from Camptotheca acuminata?

Topotecan and irinotecan (semisynthetic derivatives).

Who is credited with introducing willow bark as a treatment for fever and chills?

Edward Stone.

Which prescription antimalarial drug contains artemisinin?

Coartem.

Which medicinal plant led to the development of paclitaxel (Taxol)?

Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia).

Who first observed the medicinal use of Cinchona bark for malaria according to historical accounts?

Jesuit missionaries.

What anticoagulant drug was developed from coumarin compounds?

Warfarin.

What is the significance of F.W. Sertürner in medicinal plant history?

He was the first to isolate morphine from opium (Papaver somniferum), marking the beginning of modern alkaloid chemistry.

What is the difference between an opiate and an opioid?

Opiates are naturally occurring compounds from the opium poppy (e.g., morphine and codeine), whereas opioids include both natural opiates and synthetic or semisynthetic drugs that act on opioid receptors.

Which two major medicinal alkaloids are obtained from Papaver somniferum?

Morphine and codeine.

What is morphine primarily used for?

Pain relief and as a hypnotic.

What is codeine primarily used for?

A cough suppressant and mild sedative.

How do the medical uses of morphine and codeine differ?

Morphine is primarily used for pain relief, while codeine is mainly used as a cough suppressant and mild sedative.

How are morphine and codeine classified?

They are depressant narcotics.

Why was Strychnos nux-vomica historically limited to less than 20 mg per day when used as a tonic?

Because it contains the highly toxic alkaloids strychnine and brucine; doses under 20 mg per day were traditionally used to stimulate appetite and digestion.

Why is Strychnos nux-vomica no longer used in modern medicine as a tonic?

Because it contains the highly toxic alkaloids strychnine and brucine, making it unsafe due to the high risk of severe poisoning and safer alternatives are available.

Why has Strychnos nux-vomica largely been replaced in modern medicine?

Because it has a narrow safety margin due to the toxicity of strychnine and brucine, making safer alternatives preferable.

Why is Strychnos nux-vomica no longer used in modern medicine as a tonic?

Because it contains the highly toxic alkaloids strychnine and brucine and has a narrow safety margin (narrow therapeutic index), making it unsafe compared to safer alternatives.

What is toxiferine, and why is it medically important?

Toxiferine is an alkaloid from Strychnos toxifera that is a component of the South American arrow poison curare and has been used as a muscle relaxant during surgery.

Toxiferine is a component of what famous South American arrow poison?

Curare.

Who was Albert Niemann, and what is his significance in medicinal plant history?

Albert Niemann was the German chemist who first isolated cocaine from the leaves of Erythroxylum coca in 1860.

Why is lime traditionally chewed with coca leaves?

Lime raises the pH in the mouth, increasing the absorption of the coca alkaloids and enhancing their effects.

How many different alkaloids are found in the leaves of Erythroxylum coca?

The leaves contain 14 different alkaloids.

Which part of Papaver somniferum is the source of morphine and codeine?

The coagulated latex from the ripened seed capsules.

Which part of Strychnos nux-vomica is used in homeopathy?

The seeds.

Which part of Erythroxylum coca is the source of its medicinal alkaloids?

The leaves (Cocae folium).

Which parts of Atropa belladonna contain the belladonna alkaloids?

The leaves and roots.

Which part of Rauwolfia serpentina is traditionally used medicinally?

The root (root decoction).

Which parts of Camptotheca acuminata contain the medicinal alkaloid?

The bark and leaves.

What form of Chondrodendron tomentosum is used medicinally?

The crude extract.

Historically, cocaine was used as a local anesthetic for treating ulcers in which two locations?

Mouth ulcers and lung ulcers.

Which medicinal uses were historically associated with Erythroxylum coca before synthetic local anesthetics became available?

It was used as a local anesthetic for procedures involving the mouth and to relieve pain from mouth and lung ulcers.

Which alkaloid from Atropa belladonna is used to treat gastrointestinal disorders?

Hyoscyamine.