LEC 6 - Nature's Toxic Chemicals

Natural toxins - Graph. The dose makes the what? Just because a chemical is present, it does not mean that it…

Natural toxins are either of what 2 origins? What happens when it is consumed in large quantities (3).

• Either plant or animal origin

  • Plant origin get stores in vegetables and fruits

  • Animal origin in meat and marine food

• Harmful when consumed in large quantities

• Long term ingestion --> pose a public health risk

• Adverse effects only after chronic ingestion by allergic reactions

List 4 natural toxins in food.

• Fungi

  • Microscopic fungi -> mycotoxins

  • Macroscopic fungi -> Mushroom poisons

• Unicellular microalgae

  • Marine toxins

• Plant

  • Tropane alkaloids

  • Pyrrolizidine alkaloids

  • Glycoalkaloids

  • Cyanogenic glucosides

  • Furocoumarins

  • Lectins

• Bacteria

  • Bacterial toxins

What are Alkaloids + what do most of them function as? What are alkaloids (plants) 4 natural defenses?

• Alkaloids: basic, nitrogen-containing organic substances found in some plants (eg,morphine, nicotine, or caffeine)
  

• Most alkaloids function as storage reservoirs of nitrogen, defensive elements against predators, especially animals, vertebrates, insects, as well as arthropods due to their general toxic and deterrence effects 👈

What 2 drug class is Scopolamine: aka “zombie drug” + devils breath”. What is it used for (7)? what negative effects can it cause (9)

• Toxic alkaloid: a powerful sedative and hallucinogen

  • Derived from the nightshade plant family (Hyoscyamus niger and Atropa belladonna)

• A preoperative medication for eye exams

• Used to treat epilepsy, motion sickness, and asthma

• Often used in sexual assault crimes, robberies, and female slave trafficking (tasteless and odorless fine powder)
  

• Can cause:

  • Memory loss

  • Toxic doses lead to convulsions, delirium, paranoia, respiratory failure, coma, and death

What kind of stimulant is caffeine? What is it naturally found in (5). List

• Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant

• Naturally found in the fruit, leaves, and beans of coffee, cacao, and guarana plants

• It is the world's most widely consumed psychoactive drug

What are 3 caffeine’s immediate effects on the human body? What 4 other things happen?

• Stimulates central nervous system, which can make you feel more awake and give you a boost of energy👈

• May interfere with calcium absorption of in the body

• Increases blood pressure

• Is a diuretic, meaning that it helps your body get rid of extra salt and water by urinating more

• Increases the release of acid in your stomach, sometimes leading to an upset stomach or heartburn

• Within one hour of eating or drinking caffeine, it reaches its peak level in your blood

  • You may continue to feel the effects of caffeine for 4 to 6 hours

List 4 positive effects of caffeine + 4 negative effects of caffeine?

List 10 long-term effects of caffeine.

• Regular, heavy use of caffeine (eg, more than 4 cups of coffee a day) may eventually cause:

  • Osteoporosis (brittle bones)

  • Migraine headaches

  • Ulcers

  • Difficulty sleeping

  • Muscle tremors

  • Infertility (in men and women)

  • Birth defects, premature delivery, and miscarriages

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Dependence on caffeine (however, not technically addictive)👈

What is ricin? What are 5 health effects? What is it used for + how can it’s elimination of absorbed ricin be hastened?

• Most toxic plant product known to man (by-product of castor oil production)

• From seeds of the castor bean

• Health effects:

  • Cytotoxin (causes cell death)

  • CNS depression

  • Causes heart arrhythmia (irregular heart beat)

  • Gastroenteritis (inflammation of stomach and intestinal lining)

  • Coma, leading to death

• Used as a chemical warfare agent (no known antidote)

• Elimination of absorbed ricin may be hastened by ingesting sodium bicarbonate

Ricin is one of the what naturally occurring substances known? List 4 ricin facts + 7 symptoms

Fungal Toxins: Black Mold. What is Stachybotrys chartarum (Stachybotrys atra)? What 6 things causes it to grow?

• Stachybotrys chartarum (aka, black mold) is a greenish-black mold

  • It can grow on material with a high cellulose and low nitrogen content(eg, fiberboard, gypsum board, paper, dust, and lint)

• Growth occurs when there is moisture from water damage, excessive humidity, water leaks, condensation, water infiltration, or flooding

  • Produces a musty odor when damp

  • However, toxic mold spreads faster when the organism dries (airborne mold spores with no odor)

What is constantly required for black molds growth? Who are most at risk for health problems associated with exposure to mold?

• Constant moisture is required for its growth

• It is not necessary, to determine what type of mold you may have

  • All molds should be treated the same with respect to potential health risks and removal👈

• People with allergies may be more sensitive to molds

• People with immune suppression or underlying lung disease are more susceptible to fungal infections👈

What are some common mold poisoning symptoms for those without a respiratory condition?

Long-term mold exposure may also lead to:

• Common mold poisoning symptoms for those without a respiratory condition

  • Coughing

  • Wheezing

  • Nose stuffiness

  • Itchy or red eyes

  • Itchy skin
    

• Long-term mold exposure, even if it doesn’t cause immediate symptoms, may also lead to:

  • Hair loss

  • Anxiety

  • Confusion or memory loss

  • Numbness in hands and feet

  • Stomach pains

  • Sensitivity to light

  • Weight gain for no reason

  • Muscle cramps

How is mold poisoning diagnosed? List 6 other symptoms

• Mold poisoning can’t always be diagnosed by symptoms alone

  • Blood tests, allergy tests, and assessments of mold levels in your home may all be needed to specifically diagnose mold-related illness 👈
    

• Other symptoms:

  • cognitive + behavioral effects

  • Headaches + migraines

  • Disruption to sleep-wake cycles

  • Neurological disorders

  • Neurotoxicity + central nervous system effects

  • Increased anxiety + depression

Biotoxin is a animal toxins - define it. In nature, biotoxin has 2 basic roles - what are they?

• Biotoxin:

  • a poisonous substance made by a living organism

• Biotoxins in nature have two basic roles: 👈

  • Predation (eg, spider, snake, scorpion, jellyfish, wasp)

  • Defense (eg, bee, ant, termite, honeybee, wasp, poison dart frog)

What are some beneficial uses for venom? What 6 things are venoms used to create?

•  beneficial uses for venom?👈

  • Treating cancer

  • Painkillers

  • Reducing blood pressure

  • Detecting explosives

  • Making antivenom

  • Treatment of:

  • Autoimmune disease

  • Neurological disorders

• Venoms 

  • Pharmacological tools

  • Anti-infectives

  • Insecticides

  • Drug leads

  • Molecular probes

  • Drug target identification 

One marine toxins is the cone snail - what is it? It produces conotoxins *3) define ziconotide

• Cone Snail (Conus regius)

  • One of the most venomous sea creatures in the world!

• Produces conotoxins (neurotoxins)

  • Ziconotide (a synthetic conotoxin) a non-opioid and non-NSAID analgesic agent for the management of severe and chronic pain

  • It is delivered intrathecally (injection into the spinal canal, or into the subarachnoid space)

  • Fortunately, drug can reportedly be stopped abruptly without patient experiencing withdrawal symptoms, allowing side effects to disappear

    • Possible treatment for opioid addiction

• Research is ongoing into marine toxin-based treatments for epilepsy, diabetes, asthma, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease

One marine toxins is the Australian Box Jellyfish. What is it widely recognized as? What does it release?

• Australian Box Jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri)

  • Variety of box jellyfish aka: the Sea Wasp, or Fire Medusa

  • Widely regarded as one of the most venomous of its species

    • Releases neurotoxin that is extremely potent and rapid-acting

    • Harmful to humans and lethal to prey

Most species have tentacles loaded with stinging cells called nematocysts. What does the severity of the sting depend on (3). In extreme cases, what can a sting lead to?

• Most species have tentacles loaded with stinging cells called nematocysts

  • Actual sting compared to being branded with a red-hot iron

  • Estimated that each animal contains enough venom to kill 60 adult humans!

  • The severity of the sting depends on the size of the jellyfish and the victim, and how many stingers are involved

    • In extreme cases, a sting can lead to heart failure, swelling of the brain, and death

What does the amount + distribution of toxins present vary according to (2)?

• Of over 300,000 different plant species in the world, at least 2,000 species are considered poisonous (> 1%)

• Amount and distribution of toxins present vary according to:

  • Species

  • Geographical conditions where grown

• Poisoning reported when wild species of mushrooms, berries, or other plants are ingested

List 3 summary notes

• Toxins are widely pervasive throughout nature

• Toxins are xenobiotics produced by animal, plant, fungal, and other living matter

  • Can be used as a defense agent or predatory poison

  • Humans have learned how to tap into the therapeutic power of some toxins

    • Fine line between what is toxic and what is not = the dose matters! = LD50

• Future avenues of research into the clinical applicability of natural toxins should continue to open new treatment options for patients with a variety of chronic illnesses

  • Natural toxins can provide a molecular platform for scientists to create synthetic versions that may be more efficacious/safer (eg, better ADME profile, improved therapeutic index, etc) vs conventional man-made drugs