Alkaloids, response

A Chinese traditional herbal treatment for malaria obtained from the roots of Dichroafebrifuga is called Ch ang Shan and was investigated in the 1940s. Febrifugine (80), the alkaloid responsible for its activity, was isolated and found to be considerably more active than quinine in experimental infections. Unfortunately, the dmg caused nausea and vomiting in humans. Synthesized analogues were generally less effective than the parent. 

BALDWIN, I.T., OHNMEISS, T.E., Alkaloidal responses to damage in Nicotiana native to North America J. Chem. Ecol., 1993,19,1143-1153. 

Through an analysis of four species of Erythrina E. mulungw, E. corallodendron L. . speciosa Andrews and E. velutina), Camargo [44] explains that the use of these different species does not interfere with the results desired by users, since all of them presented alkaloids responsible for hypnotic and sedative effects in varying doses. 

The skin of the Panamanian frog Dendrobates pumilo is used by natives as an arrow poison. Two of the alkaloids responsible for this property are pumiliotoxin-A (122) and pumiliotoxin-B (123) (J.W. Daly and C. Myers, Science, 1967,... 

This MLA fraction was also tested for insecticidal activity against Spodoptera eridania and Musea domeStica, and was toxic to both. A previous study by Aiyar et al. had shown that MLA was the alkaloid responsible for causing the death of cattle feeding on Delphinium brownii in Western Canada (10) They also demonstrated that MLA had a neuromuscular blocking action in a rat phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparation, which was probably due to an effect on the nicotinic cholinergic receptor. The EC50 for this effect was 2.3 pM. 

Proteome analysis of vinca alkaloid response and resistance in acute lymphoblastic leukemia reveals novel cytoskeletal alterations. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 278, 45082—45093. 

The coca shrub Erythroxylon coca) grows wild in Peru, specifically in the Andes Mountains, at elevations of 1,500 to 6,000 feet above sea level. The natives of South America have long chewed these leaves for their stimulant effects. Leaves of the coca shrub have even been foimd in pre-Inca Peruvian burial inns. Chewing the leaves brings about a definite sense of mental and physical well-being and the power to increase endurance. For chewing, the Indians smear the coca leaves with lime and roll them. The lime, Ca(OH)2, apparently releases the free alkaloid components it is remarkable that the Indians learned this subtlety long ago by some empirical means. The pure alkaloid responsible for the properties of the coca leaves is cocaine. 

---