Plants Poisons and potions

1. Plants,
Poisons, &
Potions
By Jack Thickett, Callum
Thompson, Aimee Walton,
Charlie Saxton &Natasha Scott

2. Introduction
–Investigating the toxicology of deadly
plants by analysing their biochemical
properties, the effects that this can
cause to the human body and which
medicinal ‘potions’ can be used to
counteract these effects.

3. White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima)
What is White Snakeroot?
– Native to Eastern and Central North America, it is a poisonous perennial herb which means that it can live for around 2 years.
Why is it so poisonous?
– White Snakeroot contains the toxin Tremetol, this is a primary toxin which causes degeneration of the heart(Beier, Norman, Reagor, Rees & Mundy,
1993). This is also known as cardiac myopathy, wherein the heart muscles become enlarged and subsequently causes heart disease.
Symptoms
– Initial symptoms are abdominal pain and vomiting.
– As the poison progresses the person will have feelings of weakness, difficulty being able to stand and also constipation.
– After 48 hours the person will suffer a complete loss of muscle coordination and may also become comatose.
– Death will occur within 2-10 days of initial symptoms.
Treatment/Potions
– SymptoM Amelioration- The process of Intravenously administered plasma from a younger donor to be able to aid the body's defence systems.
– More common treatments include Sodium Lactate and laxatives. These help to force the toxins from the body to prevent further damage from
occurring.
structure of Tremetone

4. Deadly Nightshade
(Atropa belladonna)
What is deadly nightshade?
– A herbaceous perennial from the same
family (Solanaceae) as tomatoes and
potatoes; native to Europe, North Africa
and West Asia.
– May be the origin of ‘witches flying on
broomsticks’, who used it as a recreational
drug.

5. Why is it so poisonous?
– The entire plant is poisonous due to tropane alkaloids such
as atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine.
– The roots and leaves are the most toxic with the berries
and seeds being the least yet only require 10-20 to kill an
adult.
– The alkaloids disrupt the parasympathetic nervous system
(PNS), disrupting involuntary actions. They do this as they
have an anticholinergic effect, preventing acetylcholine
from transmitting across synapses.
2D structure of atropine
2D structure of scopolamine

6. Symptoms:
Symptoms:
– Early symptoms include dilation of pupils, loss of balance,
headaches and rashes.
– Drying of the mouth, photosensitivity and vasodilation.
– Confusion/delirium and hallucinations.
– Narcosis, paralysis and death for a healthy adult death can
occur within 24 hours.

7. Treatment/Potions:
– Pilocarpine is used to constrict the pupil and reduce drying
of the mouth.
– Activated carbon is able to prevent absorption of the
alkaloids into the gastrointestinal tract.
– Physostigmine, a poison from the Calabar bean has
parasympathomimetic alkaloids, counteracting the
inhibition of acetylcholine receptors by stimulating the
PNS.

8. Poison Hemlock
– Hemlock belongs to the carrot family and is a highly
poisonous plant, it is commonly found in European and
American damp soils near ditches and streams.
– All parts of the plant are poisonous, with as little as 6-8
leaves (100mg) being fatal to an adult. The poisonous
compounds in Hemlock are N-methylconiine, conhydrine,
pseudoconhydrine, g-coniceine and coniine, which is the
most toxic. The content of coniine varies in different organs
off the plant, it is highest in the unripened fruit reaching up
to 3%, and is lowest in the roots at around 0.5%.
Coniine

9. If ingested by a human, hemlock tends to have a profound effect on the central
nervous system, it causes paralysis in the motor nerve endings by blocking
receptors on the post synaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junctions.
Typical symptoms include:
– Trembling
– Difficulty in movement, first in the legs then moving to the upper extremities
– Rapid respiration
– Heavy salivation
– Nausea
– Convulsions
– A decrease of the body temperature.
– Severe poisoning may cause coma and then leading to death as a result from
a lack of oxygen in the brain and heart from respiratory failure

10. Foxglove (Digitalis
purpurea)
– Foxglove grows in the wild and it has bell-shaped flowers
which are usually bright purple.
– All parts of the plant are extremely poisonous; mainly if
ingested
– Contains cardiac glycosides which during digestion
produce aglycones and a sugar. The aglycones directly
affect the heart muscles. It causes a slowing of the heart
which can lead to heart attack
– Other symptoms caused by the ingestion of foxglove
include nausea, headaches, skin irritation and diarrhoea.

11. Case study of foxglove poisoning
– In the United States a man made a sauce out of herbs from the garden;
mistakenly picked foxglove leaves
– The following day, the couple felt nauseous, weak, and were having trouble
sleeping
– The digitalis present in foxglove is detected by assays for the drug digoxin;
so doctors checked the concentrations of digoxin and electrolytes in their
blood
– The digoxin concentrations were elevated in both patients. The wife
experienced very low heart rate and her heart even stopped beating for
several seconds at a time
– Couple were given the antidote for digoxin and they were discharged home
after 2 nights in the hospital but they continued to have some symptoms

12. Oleander ( Nerium oleander)
Oleander is a poisonous plant that naturally grows throughout the
Mediterranean and in some parts of Africa and Asia however it can
also be found in many parts of North America. It appears naturally in
river valleys near the beds of streams but as it is a very durable plant
it can be planted almost anywhere and survive.
Oleander contains oleandrin which is a cardiac glycoside. Cardiac
glycosides are powerful inhibitors of the Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase transport
system in cells. Inhibition of this can lead to a build up of sodium and
also calcium as the Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase transport system sodium gradient
is needed for the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger. If this build up occurs in the
heart it can result in an abnormal heartbeat and arrhythmia which
can be fatal. It can also cause diarrhoea, vomiting, and abdominal
pain. The poor circulation can also result in drowsiness, seizures,
muscle tremors, and coma. If the sap from the plant comes into
contact with skin it can lead to blistering, irritation, and soreness.
Poisoning by oleander is treated by returning blood pressure, and
potassium and magnesium concentrations to normal levels. Charcoal
can also be used to help adsorb and get rid of any toxins left. Cardiac
pacing is often needed for a few days after ingesting the oleander
until it is excreted in order to prevent arrhythmia or circulation
problems. There is no definite antidote for oleander poisoning.

13. References
– Beier, R., Norman, J., Reagor, J., Rees, M., & Mundy, B. (1993). Isolation of the major component in
white snakeroot that is toxic after microsomal activation: Possible explanation of sporadic toxicity
of white snakeroot plants and extracts. Natural Toxins, 1(5), 286-293.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/nt.2620010506
– Vetter.J (2004 September), Food and Chemical Toxicology, Poison Hemlock, Volume 42, Issue 9,
Pages 1373-1382, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2004.04.009