Echium

Anchusa officinalis L. Cynoglossine B. HCl, crystalline. Paralyses peripheral nerve terminations. Consolidine gluco-alkaloid hydrolysed to glucose and consolicine (also present as such). Paralyses the central nervous system. The same alkaloids are also present in Echium vulgare L. and Cynoglossum offikinale L. (Greiner, Arch. Pharm., 1900, 238, 505). 

In mammals, phenobarbital and phenytoin increase serum ceruloplasmin concentrations (Aaseth and Norseth 1986). Chronic copper poisoning in sheep is exacerbated when diets contain heliotrope plants (Heliotropium sp., Echium spp., Senecio sp.). Aggravated effects of the heliotrope plants include reduced survival and a twofold to threefold increase in liver and kidney copper concentrations when compared to control animals fed copper without heliotropes (Howell et al. 1991). Rats given acutely toxic doses of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin had elevated concentrations of copper in liver and kidney because of impaired biliary excretion of copper (Elsenhans et al. 1991). Morphine increases copper concentrations in the central nervous system of rats, and dithiocarbam-ates inhibit biliary excretion (Aaseth and Norseth 1986). In human patients, urinary excretion of copper is increased after treatment with D-penicillamine, calcium disodium EDTA, or calcium trisodium diethylenetriamine penta acetic acid (Flora 1991). 

This example illustrates the benefits and costs of introducing plants to new localities. Over the mere two hundred years of European settlement in Australia many of the World s most important crop and pasture plants and all of the World s worst weeds (Table I) have been introduced to the continent. The latter have attained problem status and several other introductions, such as Echium plantagineum L. (Paterson s Curse) from the Mediterranean region, freed from those organisms which maintain them in balance in their native communities, have posed threats to agriculture. 

FIGURE 2.2S Score plot on the two LDA discriminant functions, showing the discrimination among honey samples, on the basis of potentiometric data, according to the predominant pollen variety Er, Erica Ec, Echium L, Lavandula (reproduced from Dias et at., 2008, with permission). 

Dias and coworkers utilized an array of potentiometric sensors for the classification of honey samples from different Portuguese regions with respect to the predominant pollen type Erica, Echium, Lavandula. PCA and LDA were employed for the pattern recognition (see Fig. 2.25), after having verified that the variables followed a normal distribution. Cross-validation was applied for evaluating the classification rules, obtaining satisfactory prediction abilities for two classes (about 80%) and poor results for the third one (about 50%) (Dias et al., 2008). 

Figure 3. ORAC antioxidant activity determination of Echium vulgare defatted seeds methanolic extract expressed as netarea under the curve (netAUC)...

Blueweed (Echium ulgare L.) honey ranks among the best kinds it is light amber in color and has a pleasant aroma and very fine flavor. 

Echium lycopsis, Lithospermum erythrorhizon, Onosma caucasicum (Boraginaceae) Animals leucocyte cytokine... 

Shikonin (= 1 7 -isomer of Alkannin) (naphthoquinone) Echium lycopsis, Lithospermum erythrorhizon [root], Onosma caucaskum (Boraginaceae) TOPI (TOPII) [red colour]... 

Anchusa officinale, Echium vulgare, Lycopus mropams, L. virginicus, Lithosperrrmm officinale, L. ruderale (Boraginaceae), Mentha piperita, Salvia deserta (Lamiaceae)... 

Both Echium plantagineum and E. vulgare are of European origin but have become opportunistic weeds in other parts of the world. In particular, E. plantagineum is a major agricultural toxic weed in Australia whilst E. vulgare has infested large parts of New Zealand. Both have implications for livestock health, welfare, and productivity as well as human health implications via the presence of their alkaloids in honey and other food products [26-28]. 

Fig. 13.11 Confirmation of N-oxide character. The reversed phase HPLC-ESI-MS base ion (m/z 200-500) chromatogram of an extract of Echium plantagineum petals shows the predominant presence of N-oxides (peaks 1-8).

Fig. 13.18 Reversed phase HPLC-ESI-MS ion chromatograms of the strong cation exchange solid phase extract of an Echium vu/gore-derived honey, (a) Total ion chromatogram, (b) base ion m/z 200-500) chromatogram, and (c)-(f) reconstructed ion chromatograms displaying m/z 414, 398, 374, and 332, respectively.

In Echium of Boeotia, which is more ruddy than black. 

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