Learn: horticulture 350 - exam 1

Spices: who dominated silk road/ who was at the far end and what was spread by this exchange besides goods

dominated by middle east and asia; europe was at far end so spices were rare; plague and Buddhism was spread

spices: how was the black plague spread through silk road; what role did spices play in plague

spread through rats on ships carrying goods; clove and pepper were in doctor's masks to hide smell which some believed was the cause of the plague

spices: how did the age of discovery change spice trade

introduced columbian exchange (exchange between old and new world) and spices became pursued globally which increased slavery

spices: dutch east india company

eslaved cultures, sought spices (nutmeg), looked to control nutmeg so they bought the island where it grew, chopped the nutmeg trees, and placed them in other areas of the world (this eventually led to nutmeg becoming commonplace and losing much of its value

Spices: columbus

looking for a route to India for spices; discovered pepper

spices: pepper

masks bad flavors/scents; binds to TRPV1 receptors which gives the feeling of heat; used in doctor's masks

spices: nutmeg

covering is mace; psychoactive if in big proportion; symbol of luxury and wealth in England in age of discovery

spices: cloves

antimicrobial so used as food preservative; numbing effect and can be used as pain-killer; in doctor's masks

spices: thyme

incense; antimicrobial properties

spices: the biology of scents

volatile (smell) molecules bind to receptors behind our nose; molecules are shaped differently based on scent which allows receptors to send a scent-specific signal to brain; can also enter through our mouth which connects the senses; smell and emotion receptors are close in brain which explains connection between smells and emotions

Spices: volatile molecules in plants

used to attract pollinators and defend against microbes

indigo: why do jeans fade

molecules are stuck in fabric instead of chemically bound

indigo: silk road

indigo dyed fabrics were found in egypt and peru and traded throughout silk road

Indigo: chemical process of dyeing and what has traditionally been used

indigo must be turned into a water soluble, oxygenated, and deoxygenated; urine has traditionally been used to make solution alkaline (high pH level)

indigo: where was woad mostly used and what for; whats the main difference between woad and indigo

mostly used in Europe; face paint in braveheart; 75% less color than indigo

Indigo: where was false indigo used and what for; what is a similarity between it and indigo

used by native Americans for face paint; also a legume

indigo: Phoenician purple and murex dye

used by pharaohs and others to dye religious clothes; very expensive because it took 10s of thousands of snails to make 1g of dye

indigo: Eliza Lucas

her father sent her indigo to south carolina where she took over the plantation; it did well which increased production of indigo in americals

indigo: connection to slavery

increase in production of indigo in the us led to increase in slavery in the south; there is a direct tie between indigo and the legalization of slavery

indigo: haint blue

painted on porches in the south to combat evil spirits - originally used by slaves

indigo: synthetic

replaced most of the indigo in 20th century but has a negative impact on enviroment; found in water and produces carcinogens

indigo: denim uses

sails; pants

indigo: india

was a symbol of Britain's control over india and played a big part in their freedom from britain

indigo: vasco de gama

exploration was for indigo

sugar: why is there so much sugar in our food (taste receptors)

our taste receptors aren't effective enough to taste most of the sugar that we put in our bodies

sugar: why do we crave it

our brains are hardwired to crave sugar. for most of human history, sugar has been hard to come by which made it a rare luxury, but with recent production increase, it is extremely easy to satisfy that craving at any point which has led to decreases in health

sugar: what is the price support system

US department of agriculture provides loans to producers of sugar that guarantee a minimum price for sugar. sugar producers can give sugar to gov as payment for loan, or sell it on the market if the market will offer a higher price

sugar: sugarcane

was brought to new lands through exploration which made it an international commodity; it is heavily linked to to slavery and triangle trade; originally used for medicine; some of first sugar products sold; 50% of sugar today

sugar: sugarbeet

same sucrose molecule as sugarcane; one of the first examples of scientific plant breeding

sugar: how it was viewed throughout history

early scientists thought that fat caused health problems but sugar was seen as good for you. later studies found that sugar was heavily linked to health problems, however, these findings were covered by sugar companies. recent changes to food labels and others have made citizens more aware of the health risks of many foods

sugar: sap

sugar of plants moves in the sap which becomes an important food source for insects; making syrup out of sap is labor intensive and takes lots of sap

sugar: surcrose

sucrose is made of glucose and fructose; can act as a preservative in high concentrations; when consumed, the fructose and glucose molecules are separated and absorbed into blood stream

sugar: types of taste our bodies can identify

sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami

sugar: high fructose corn syrup

almost half glucose and half fructose, which is similar to sucrose; enhances tumor growth

psychoactives: poppy

opium was found in the poppy plant by extracting the sap which has linked poppy cultivation with drug trade; they are used in the plant to keep pests away; 80% of opium is produced in afghanistan

psychoactives: opium in our bodies

our body has natural opium receptors that opium binds to these receptors which releases dopamine and blocks prolactin which regulates dopamine release

psychoactives: why are we addicted

dopamine is a specific reward hormone that released to set the value of a new reward. for most rewards, the value is only set once. However, since drugs release dopamine every time they are taken, the reward continues to grow in value until nothing can top it, resulting in addiction

psychoactives: morphine

first drug used to treat pain; popular because it could be injected; can't be synthesized; when morphine isn't regulated, people can get addicted because it relieves pain and releases dopamine, so people continue to take more and more to overcome growing tolerance

psychoactives: history of opioids

opioids have been produced mostly in Afghanistan and mexico. The chinese were particularly addicted to opioids but lost both opioid wars. in the US, opioids were aggressively promoted to the point where 86% of opioid use was non-cancer pain; this started an opioid epidemic of overdose and death

psychoactives: why are we interested in the idea drugs

humans have a need to transcend, transport, escape

psychoactives: what does it do in our bodies?

psychoactives cross our blood brain barrier to act on our nervous system and alter our behaviour neurologically

psychoactives: what is an alkaloid?

naturally occurring compound from a plant that often has pharmacological properties and toxicities

psychoactives: sackler family

founders of Perdue pharma and were trialed for their role in the opioid epidemic

psychoactives: coca

causes release of dopamine and has been used for centuries in south america to boost mood, energy, stamina, etc.; helped inca live at high altitudes

psychoactives: peyote

hallucinogen; used for medical purposes and psychoactive purposes; releases serotonin; kaleidoscopic images and vibrant colors; current use is restricted in Americas but native american cultures work for its legalization

psychoactives: LSD

alters thinking processes and spiritual experiences; used in psychedelic therapy; no known permanent effects

medicinal plants: garlic

probiotic, antimicrobial, anticancer properties because of allicin which targets certain enzymes and is volatile (in the air) so it is capable of killing gaseous bacteria. can eliminate platelet clumps by thinning blood at a much higher rate than aspirin, but only raw. cooking reverses effect.

medicinal plants: onion and sulfer

all plants need sulfate to survive, but onions store it in cells and when the cells are broken through cutting, a chemical reaction occurs making the potent smell. when cut, the onions release sulfoxide which makes us cry to protect our eyes from unknown gas (goes away when cooked); sulfur will seep through skin if onions are put on skin

medicinal plants: dshea act

says that products can make claims without mentioning disease ex: "this supports immune system" (many supplements)

medicinal plants: pomegranate

used as medicine in ancient times; POM is a health brand today that made medical claims without backing as many companies did before the dshea act (be able to really talk about one situation?)

medicinal plants: sulforphane

found in broccoli and is thought to protect against certain cancers, highly influenced by GSTM1 gene which 50% of the population is null for

aspirin: willow

talked about by Egyptians to relieve pain/inflammation; contains salicin which is the compound in plants that cures; was purified into salicylic acid which was then synthesized into aspirin

aspirin: how does it work?

aspirin inhibits prostaglandins and attacks COX1 and COX2; it completely shuts off COX1 and switches COX2 to catalytic activity. it may have negative effects on the stomach because prostaglandins protect the stomach; also inhibits thromboxane A2 which in turn stops platelets from clumping

apsirin: difference between aspirin, tylenol, and ibuprofen

tylenol only inhibits COX2 while ibuprofen and aspirin inhibit both; COX1 and COX2 can spit out ibuprofen (temporary) but aspirin permanently deactivates them by impaling them

aspirin: native americans

they chewed or boiled willow leaves to relieve pain

aspirin: other plant subsitutes

willow, aspen, meadowsweet, cottonwood, poplar, spirea, myrtle

cannabis: THC

most psychoactive compound in weed; pain reliever and treatment for ailments; people have been breeding weed for years to have higher levels of THC

cannabis: CBD

major product of hemp flowers and used in/for various things (drinks, candles, etc); seems to have medical uses; not a psychoactive compound but us being explored as inflammatory and migraine treatment;

cannabis: 3 important species

sativa(typical;day/ energized/ halucination), indica (relaxing/ buzz/ night), ruderalis

cannabis: collecting weed

cannabis is dioecious which means there are separate male and female plants; females produce weed in resin on trichomes

cannabis: US attempts to villainize it

films depicting crazed addicts, changing name to marijuana to connect it to mexican immigrants who the population was told to be afraid of, smoking became a political act with vietnam

cannabis: hemp

easy to grow; no pesticides; no THC (can't make people high); outlawed anyway because of similar appearance to cannabis

cannabis: current devillanizing

many states have made weed legal for medical use or medical and recreational use; since it is still a schedule 1 drug, tests can't be done to improve healthcare involving weed

cannabis: in our body

TCH acts on our endocannabinoid which is a part of the brain where CB1 and CB2 are located; TCH binds to both of these receptors - CB1 causes increase in dopamine release which is the main effect; CBD acts on opioid and glycine receptors

cannabis: cannabis use disorders

only 9% of users are affected; causes abuse, dependence, addiction, etc.

cannabis: hemp cultivation

hemp cultivation has grown in the US in recent years (Wisconsin used to be one of the biggest producers)

cannabis: history

originated in central asia and used for medicine and strong fibers; hemp used to caulk ships, make sails, and for clothing