Plant Science Exam 4: Bioactive Plant Properties

Chapter 16, 19, 20, and 21

Chapter 16

Stimulating Beverages

What is this structure?

Caffeine

What are the effects of Caffeine on the body?

alkaloid that stimulates the CNS

increases HR, BP, and respiration

vasoconstrictor (makes blood vessels smaller)

What are 2 common medications Caffeine is added to?

Aspirin and Acetaminophen

Is Caffeine addictive?

Yes. It can create nervousness and irritability and other withdrawal symptoms without it.

What are the effects of high levels of Caffeine in a pregnant woman?

May lower fetal growth of the child. Mothers have to limit the amounts that they consume

What are the health benefits of caffeine in some studies?

Decrease Type 2 Diabetes, Parkinson’s and some cancers

Caffeine is produced only by plants, yet is has profound effects on the CNS of animals.

Why would plants, which do not possess a nervous system, have evolved neurologically active compounds?

As a defense mechanism, caffeine helps reduce herbivores consuming the plant. It deters pests and animals by making the plant taste unpleasant or causing negative effects, so they avoid eating it.

What plant is coffee primarily from? Where is it native to?

Caffea arabica plant

Native to Ethiopia but spread through Europe and eventually the Americas

Who is the leading producer of the coffee plant now

Brazil

Irony - not where it originated from

How is coffee cultivated?

from an evergreen shrub

berries of it are harvested

beans are roasted (roasting affects the flavor)

Traditionally coffee plants are grown in the shade but sun-trees have higher yield.

What is the ecological concern?

Deforestation and loss of biodiversity.

Sun-grown trees have to replace other trees in the tropical rain forest. There is a push to do shade-grown trees to maintain the tropical rain forest diversity

What is the world’s most consumed beverage after water?

Tea

What plant does tea usually come from? Where is it native to?

Camellia sinensis

Native to Southeast Asia

Which 2 countries have ancient ancestry with the tea plant?

India and China

How are tea leaves cultivated?

Small tree/shrub pruned for hand harvest by plucking the leaves

Leaves are fermented which results in the differences in type/taste

Describe Green tea fermentation

green = no fermentation but the leaves are steamed

Describe Oolong tea fermentation

oolong = partial fermentation

Describe Black tea fermentation

black = full fermentation

Describe White tea fermentation

white = no fermentation or steaming (have dense trichomes)

Describe Herbal tea

herbal = not from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) , usually from other plant species like rose hips, limes, lemons, oranges, etc.

what is the effect of tea on human health

green tea consumption is linked to lower cancer risk

what other two stimulants are in tea

caffeine and theophylline

what is theophylline

bronchial muscle relaxer

what plant does chocolate come from? where is it native to?

roasted, fermented seeds of Theobroma cacao tree

native to the neotropics (South America)

where did the specific name of chocolate come from?

named by Linnaeus

Theobroma came from "food of the gods"

what did the Aztecs used cacao seeds as?

used them as small coins to trade and buy things

what is Chocolatl made from?

roasted and ground cacao beans with chili peppers and other species

what did an English company do to Chocolatl to make it into chocolate bars

added cocoa butter and sugar to the ground beans

the cacao seeds in chocolate contain what alkaloids

2% theobromine

caffeine

phenethylamine

anandamide

What class of secondary plant compounds does chocolate contain?

Alkaloids: carbon ring with nitrogen

Affects with the neurological system of animals so it’s a way for plant to discourage animals to eat them

describe theobromine

acts as a diuretic and heart stimulant

found in tea leaves and kola tree

can get poisoning from really high levels of it

describe phenethylamine

dopamine releasing-agent that is linked to serotonin-levels in the brain

rapidly metabolized when taken orally

describe anandamide

means bliss and delight

affects cannabinoid neurotransmitter that activates some of the same receptors as THC

what are some possible health benefits of dark chocolate

flavonoids have antioxidant properties

improve insulin sensitivity

reduce blood pressure

more processed chocolate = more flavonoids lost

how is chocolate processed

(seeds) beans are roasted, cracked open to release the cotyledons called nibs

nibs are crushed to produce a chocolate liquor called baking chocolate

cocoa butter is used for soaps and cosmetics

what is the high price of chocolate

half of cocoa worldwide is grown in West Africa that is harvested by 12-16 year olds

40% of chocolate eaten is produced by child slaves

describe how Coca-Cola is made

from seeds of Western African cola tree

contains alkaloids caffeine and kolanin which are both cardiac stimulants

added with coca leaf extracts but the cocaine is removed

Chapter 19

Medicinal Plants

Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood) is a source of what

anti-malaria artenisinin

what are some ancient uses of plants as medicine

Neanderthal buried with a medicinal plant 60K years ago

4K years old Sumerian tablet had medicinal plants

ancient Chinese, Indian, Aztecs

snakeroot was as a what in the past…

what is used as now…

past = sedative

now = used for BP and schizophrenia

who is the Father of Medicine

Hippocrates

what did Hippocrates believe that disease came from

natural means rather than supernatural

the gods were not punishing them and plants could be used as treatments

what plant in the Middle East was used as a contraceptive and was collected into extinction

giant fennel, mainly by woman

who wrote a text of 600 medicinal plants that was the Western standard until the Renaissance and herbals

Dioscorides

describe the medicinal practices during the Renaissance

age of herbals

used the Doctrines of Signatures: signature or feature of plant parts corresponded to the human part (no scientific basis) — appearance doesn’t mean correlation

what were bloodwort, liverwort, and snakeroot used for according to the doctrine of signatures

bloodwort = blood red sap so used for blood diseases

liverwort = used for liver disease because it has the shape of a liver

snakeroot = used for snake bites

What is morphine come from?

Opium Poppy

Where does salucylic acid come from?

Willow

what percent of US pharmaceuticals have plant-derived active ingredients? what about if you include fungi?

25%

including fungi, 50%

what percent of rural populations rely on herbal medicine as their only form of healthcare

75%

herbal medicine is an established practice in what other countries

China, India, and some other countries

pharmacists provide plants instead of pills

who wrote a book about the uses of plants by Indians of the Missouri River Region

Melvin Gilmore (1919)

Describe the use of Echinacea plant

plant that was used by Native Americans as the antidote for bites and stings, cure of infectious diseases, toothaches and smoked as a remedy for headaches

what is Echinacea used for today

prevention of colds and flu

list and explain common active compounds in medicinal plants

alkaloids: 3000 identified, dominant in bean, nightshade (tomatoes, tobacco), and coffee family

glycosides: effect heart contraction

saponins: progesterone precursor and cortisone

describe what Foxglove is and what it is used for

digitalis glycosides in it that slow heartbeat with increased blood pumped (stronger contraction)

English remedy for dropsy (fluid accumulation from congestive heart failure)

contains digoxin

what compound comes from the inner bark of a Salix (willow) tree

salicilin (glycoside of salicylic acid)

what is the synthetic production of salicilin

acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin)

describe acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin)

anti-inflammatory and analgesic

reduces risk of a second heart attack

first organic compound that was able to be synthesized

easier on stomachs than salicilin is

list and explain the compound that come from the fever bark tree

quinine (alkaloid): first effective treatment for malaria, used with water to make gin and tonics by British colonists

Synthetic is chloroquinine

what compound comes from a wormwood tree

artimisin which is a terpene that is toxic to malaria parasites

what compound is from snakeroot

reserpine

describe what reserpine is used for

isolated from the root of snakeroot

one of the first tranquilizers for schizophrenia

also a treatment for hypertension

describe what the Aloe plant is used for

used for skin conditions

has soothing properties that may promote dermal cell growth and inhibit bacterial infections

found in many lotions, sunscreens, and bath oils

what compound is from Ephedra

ephedrine

describe what ephedrine is used for

decongestant and CNS stimulant similar to adrenaline

weight control supplements

energy boosters

what is the synthetic form of ephedrine

pseudoephedrine

pseudoephedrine was used to make which other stronger drug

methamphetamine

abuse of products containing Ephedra extracts led to increased concerns about unregulated marketing of herbal remedies. should increased regulation occur

cons- lots of work and money, would cause inflation with the prices for them and people would turn to cheaper and possibly unsafe options

pro- more purity in the herbal supplements, we would know the ingredients, and have more studies and knowledge to decrease deaths from adverse effects of them

what compounds are in madagascar periwinkle

vinblastine

vincristine

what are vinblastine and vincristine used for

treat various leukemias and lymphomas

chemo drug that blocks spindle formation in cells

which compound is in Pacific Yew

chemotherapy drug taxol

isolated from the inner bark of the tree

what steps can be taken to ensure that plants used in medicines will be preserved in the wild

funding preservation efforts to put the plants back by either the drug company or the nation

what is the science or practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease

medicine

what is the future outlook of alternative medicine

it will probably increase because most people will google what to do with the symptoms they have rather than go to the doctor to get treated

what are the current herbal medicine regulations

considered a dietary supplement by the FDA

testing and clinical trials are not needed for it like for over-the-counter drugs

many alternative medicine users will not report use to their primary physician. what is the concern with this?

these alternative medicines could react with another drug that they are already taking and could have deadly consequences

what is St. John's wort primarily for treating

treating depression and said to raise serotonin levels

Leading treatment for mild to moderate depression in Germany

what is Gingko primarily used for

improvement of dementia symptoms by increased blood flow

anticoagulant (prevents blood cloats)

increased bleeding risk with high consumption

what is Saw Palmetto used for

may reduce symptoms of benign prostate enlargement and increase urinary flow

what comes from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa tree? where is it native?

Kratom

native to southeast Asia

what is Kratom used for

fight fatigue

is a stimulant

interacts with the opioid receptors in the brain causing reduction of pain and fighting opioid wthdrawal

what is the drawback of using Kratom

could be more addictive than heroin

what advice would you give someone who is choosing to self-medicate using herbs

start with small doses to see how it react with your body

make sure that you look into what it reacts with before you start taking it

how can the educated consumer be assured of the efficacy of herbal preparations

stay with more standard and well-known companies like Walgreens

do not get from a sketchy person or company online

what did Richard Schultes say about the difference between a deadly poison and a life-saving medicine

sometimes it is just the matter of dosage

Chapter 20

Psychoactive Plants

what are the most widely used psychoactive substances used in the US

caffeine

alcohol

nicotine

6000 years ago, a Sumerian clay tablet pictured the opium poppy as what

the joy plant

psychoactive drug effects are dependent on what (4 factors)

pharmacology of the drug

biology of the individual

psychology of the individual

cultural setting

What does the Central Nervous System (CNS) do and how do neurons work within it?

CNS = brain + spinal cord; made of neurons that send signals using neurotransmitters (NTs)

Some excite or inhibit brain activity → changes in mood, behavior, perception, and thinking

how do psychoactive drugs usually have an effect on the human body

mimicking, amplifying, or blocking the effects of neurotransmitters

what are the three subcategories of psychoactive drugs

stimulants

depressants

hallucinogens

narcotic

any dangerously addictive psychoactive compound

technically a depressant

most narcotics are usually

alkaloids

(THC is an exception because it is a phenolic)

which neurotransmitter is responsible for pleasure

dopamine, primary component of reward circuit

What do psychoactive drugs do to dopamine levels in the brain?

They raise dopamine levels

In a part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens

This makes you feel good or rewarded

how does cocaine act in the human brain

blocks return of dopamine back to the Ventral Tegmental Area which increase dopamine levels = higher pleasure feeling