About the toxicity of some Strychnos species and their alkaloids.

Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity and pharmacokinetics of alkaloids from seeds of Strychnos nux-vomica after transdermal administration: Effect of changes in alkaloid composition

Humans have evolved to consume natural products in their environment and have acquired a sense of taste. Our ability to taste bitter and sour evolved to identify potentially dangerous food. On the contrary, the ability to recognize a sweet taste developed to identify an energy source, while a salty taste is a signal of minerals. As time progressed, humans began to use bitter, pungent, and even astringent tastes that were initially considered to be unpleasant. This may have been because we became aware that such substances were effective at improving health or even treating disease. Human food culture progressed further with the development of cooking methods that use spices and more dramatically through the enjoyment of fermentation products.

There has been no recent comprehensive review on the chemistry of taste written from the perspective of natural products chemistry. In this chapter, several taste sensations found in natural products are described along with their structures. Although it is still very difficult to anticipate the taste quality and intensity from the structure of an organic compound, it is expected that recent progress in the study of receptors will contribute to a full understanding of the relationship between taste sensation and chemical structure.

Human–Environment Interactions – Taste

Introduction: There have been increasing concerns regarding adverse reactions and toxicity incidents caused by traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), among which the nephrotoxicity is particularly worrying.Areas covered: This review summarizes the ingredients with renal toxicity from some TCMs through searching the relevant literature published over the past two decades. Renal toxicity components from TCMs include aristolochic acids (AAS), alkaloids, anthraquinones and others. TCM renal toxicity is most commonly caused by AAS and some alkaloids. AAS mainly come from Aristolochia contorta Bunge, Aristolochia manshuriensis Kom, Clematis Chinensis Osbeck, Aristolochia cathcartii Hook. Some renal toxic alkaloids are derived from Tripterygium regelii Sprague et Takeda, Stephania tetrandra S. Moore, Strychnos nux-vomica Linn. and Aconitum carmichaeli Debx. A few kinds of anthraquinones, flavonoids, and glycosides from TCMs also cause renal toxicity. All of these renal toxicity components and their associ...

Renal toxic ingredients and their toxicology from traditional Chinese medicine

BHUx is a polyherbal formulation consisting of water-soluble fractions of five medicinal plants (Commiphora mukul, Terminalia arjuna, Boswellia serrata, Semecarpus anacardium and Strychnos nux vomica). The present study was undertaken to evaluate its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. BHUx, standardized by HPLC fingerprinting and filtered through 0.2 μm filter paper, was employed for different studies under in vivo and in vitro conditions. Under in vivo conditions, BHUx significantly reduced inflammation in the carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema model of inflammation, suggesting its anti-inflammatory properties. In order to test the mechanism of action of BHUx, further in vitro studies were undertaken on cumene-hydroperoxide-induced lipid peroxidation (CHP) in liver homogenate, LPS-induced NO production in peritoneal macrophages and on key enzymes of arachidonic acid cascade, involved in the mediation of inflammation. Under the conditions, BHUx showed concentration-dependent inhibition of CHP-induced lipid peroxidation in liver homogenate, suggesting its antioxidant properties. Similarly the potent anti-inflammatory effects of BHUx are evident by (a) preferential inhibition of COX-2 (IC50 for COX-2 = 80 μg/ml and IC50 for COX-1 = 169 μg/ml), (b) low ratios in the IC50 values of COX-2/COX-1 (0.47), (c) decreased production of NO in LPS-induced peritoneal macrophages and (d) inhibition of 5-LOX (IC50 = 795 μg/ml). BHUx also showed a preference for inhibiting 15-lipoxygenase (IC50 = 44 μg/ml), a key enzyme implicated in LDL oxidation. These studies suggest that BHUx is acting mainly at three levels, i.e., as a potent natural antioxidant, by reduction of key inflammatory mediators of arachidonic acid cascade and by preventing 15-LOX-mediated LDL oxidations, to prevent atherosclerosis.

Katherine M.St. John-Allan

Papers

Brucine lethality in mice