PlantsCaseSacreddatura(Daturawrightii)
D.wrightiiisfoundinnorthernMexicoandtheadjoiningU.S.states,asfarnorthassouthernUtah,inopenlandwithwell-drainedsoils.[2]Itisalsocommonlyplantedasanornamental,especiallyinxeriscapes.Sacredthornappleisanativeannualorperennialbroadleaf.InCaliforniaitisfoundinthesouthwesternregion,desertregions,central-westernregion,CentralValley,centralandsouthernSierraNevada,TehachapiMountains,andeasternNorthCoastRangestoanelevationof7200feet(2200m).Itinhabitsagriculturallandandopen,disturbed,andunmanagedsites.Thisplantistoxictohumansandlivestockwheningested.Livestockseldomconsumefreshplantsbecauseoftheirunpleasantscentandtaste.However,livestockcanconsumedriedfoliageandlargenumbersofgroundseedinpoorqualityhayorfeed,causinghealthproblems.Sacredthornappleissimilartoarelatedannualspecies,jimsonweed,Daturastramonium.D.wrightiihasalsobeenusedtoinducehallucinationforrecreationalpurposes.IngestionofplantmaterialcaninduceauditoryandvisualhallucinationssimilartothoseofDaturastramonium,withtheactivecompoundsbeingconcentratedintheseedpodsandroots;concentrationsvarywidelybetweensamples,andonsetisslow.Thismakesdosageestimationdifficultandaddsfurtherrisktotheadministrationofmaterialthatalreadyhaspotentiallylethalsideeffects.Scopolamineistheprimaryactivemolecule;itisrelatedtoatropine,withasimilar,largelyanticholinergicactivity.Effectsmayincludedrymouth,hyperthermia,profusesweating,drowsiness,lethargy,andanterogradeamnesia-alongwiththeafore-mentionedhallucinationsandsensorydistortions.Thesecompoundsalsoinduceaprofounddilatationofthepupilsandsuppresseyesaccades,resultinginconsiderabledegradationofvisualacuity,oftentothepointoffunctionalblindness.Thismaypersist,toareduceddegree,fordays.Thecombinedeffectmayresultinapanicstateintheuser,aparticularlydangeroussituationinsomeonetemporarilydeprivedofusefulvision;usersarepronetoseriousaccidentalinjury.Scopolamineinducesrespiratorydepressionathallucinogenicdoses.Thecombinationof
anesthesia(inthehospital)andDaturaisusuallyfatalduetocombinedrespiratorydepression.[1]Seizuresandfeversashighas43°C(109°F)havebeenreported.Foxglove(Digitalissp)
Digitalisisagenusofabout20speciesofherbaceousperennials,shrubs,andbiennialscommonlycalledfoxgloves.ThisgenusisnativetowesternandsouthwesternEurope,[4]westernandcentralAsia,AustralasiaandnorthwesternAfrica.Agroupofmedicinesextractedfromfoxgloveplantsarecalleddigitalin.TheuseofD.purpureaextractcontainingcardiacglycosidesforthetreatmentofheartconditionswasfirstdescribedintheEnglish-speakingmedicalliteraturebyWilliamWithering,in1785,[10][11]whichisconsideredthebeginningofmoderntherapeutics.[12][13]Itisusedtoincreasecardiaccontractility(itisapositiveinotrope)andasanantiarrhythmicagenttocontroltheheartrate,particularlyintheirregular(andoftenfast)atrialfibrillation.Digitalistoxicity(Digitalisintoxication)resultsfromanoverdoseofdigitalisandcausesnausea,vomitinganddiarrhea,aswellassometimesresultinginxanthopsia(jaundicedoryellowvision)andtheappearanceofblurredoutlines(halos),drooling,abnormalheartrate,cardiacarrhythmias,weakness,collapse,dilatedpupils,tremors,seizures,andevendeath.Bradycardiaalsooccurs.Becauseafrequentsideeffectofdigitalisisreductionofappetite,someindividualshaveusedthedrugasaweight-lossaid.Theentireplantistoxic(includingtherootsandseeds).Mortalityisrare,butcasereportsdoexist.
Autumncrocus(Colchicumautumnale)
ColchicumautumnaleistheonlyspeciesofitsgenusnativetotheGreatBritainandIreland,[5][6]withnotablepopulationsunderthestewardshipoftheCountyWildlifeTrusts.ItalsooccursacrossmainlandEuropefromPortugaltoUkraine,andisreportedlynaturalizedinDenmark,Sweden,EuropeanRussia,theBalticStatesandNewZealand.[2]Whiletheactiveingredient,thealkaloidcolchicine,wasonlyrecognizedandisolatedfromtheAutumnCrocusin1820,itsmedicinalusepriortothenwasbasedonusingthedriedseeds,flowers,andcormsoftheplant.Driedseeds,forexample,contain4partsperthousandofcolchicine.Unfortunately,usingthedruginthesecrudeformspresentedasignificantriskofpoisoningsincetheamountoftheactivedrugintheplantvariesfromplanttoplant,plantparttoplantpart,andseasontoseason.TheAutumnCrocushasalonghistoryasapoison.Greekslaveswereknowntohaveeatentheplanttomakethemselvessick,andeventocommitsuicide.Probablythemostsignificantuseofcolchicineinmedicinehasbeeninthetreatmentofgout,adiseasecharacterizedbythepainfulinflammationofjointsinresponsetouratecrystalsdepositedinthejointtissue.AncientwritingsmakevaguereferencestoAutumnCrocusbeingusedtocontrolthisdisease.ThefirstdocumenteduseoftheplanttotreatgoutwasmadebyAlexanderofTrallesinthe6thcenturyA.D.Throughtheyears,overdoseswerenotuncommonandfatalitiesoccurred.Sincegoutwasacommonailmentamongthenobleandwealthy,physiciansmusthaveheldaratherprecariousposition.Ifthepatientdiedfromthecolchicineprescription,severepunishmentswerehandedout.Insomeinstancesphysiciansevenpaidwiththeirlives.BenjaminFranklin,himselfasuffererfromgout,issaidtobethefirstpersontointroducecolchicinetherapyintotheUnitedStates.Itisstillusedtodaytotreatacutecases.
Yew(Taxusbaccata)
Allparts,exceptthefleshoftheberries,containtaxin(e)acomplexofalkaloidswhichisrapidlyabsorbed.Alsopresentareephedrine,acyanogenicglycoside(taxiphyllin)andavolatileoil.
Wherepoisoningdoesoccur,inanimalsorhumans,theremaybenosymptomsanddeathmayfollowwithinafewhoursofingestion.Ifsymptomsdooccur,theyincludetrembling,staggering,coldness,weakpulseandcollapse.
Yewisoneoftheplantswherethepoisonisnotdestroyedwhentheplantdies.Thus,branchesremovedfromayewbyhighwindsorpruningwillretaintheirpoison.
Thoughtheberriesareharmless,theseedwithinishighlytoxic.Unbrokenitwillpassthroughthebodywithoutbeingdigestedbutiftheseedischewedpoisoningcanoccurwithasfewasthreeberries.
Someyearsago,itwasfoundthatthetaxolfoundinyewcouldbeusedtoproducechemotherapytreatmentsforbreastandothercancers.Thedrugproducedinthiswayiscalledpaclitaxel.(Untilsomeonewaskindenoughtocorrectme,Iwasoneofthemanypeoplewhothoughttamoxifenwasproducedfromyew.Itisnot.Tamoxifenisasyntheticdrug.)Forsometime,largegardensmadeapointofkeepingtheiryewpruningsandpassingthesetocompaniestoextractthetaxolandproducethesedrugs.Thiswasanexpensiveprocessandproducedonlylimitedamountsofthedrug.Sincethen,however,ithasbeendiscoveredthattaxolisproducedfromafungusthatlivesintheyew.Otherfungihavealsobeenfoundthatareabletobeusedtoproducepaclitaxel.Withsome,artificiallybrewingispossibleand,oncethatprocessisscaledup,itshouldreducethecostandincreasetheavailabilityofbreastcancertreatments.
Castoroilplantseedpods(Ricinuscommunis)
AlthoughRicinuscommunisisindigenoustothesoutheasternMediterraneanBasin,EasternAfrica,andIndia,todayitiswidespreadthroughouttropicalregions.[3]Inareaswithasuitableclimate,castorestablishesitselfeasilywhereitcanbecomeaninvasiveplantandcanoftenbefoundonwasteland.
Thetoxicityofrawcastorbeansisduetothepresenceofricin.Althoughthelethal
doseinadultsisconsideredtobefourtoeightseeds,reportsofactualpoisoningare
relativelyrare.[17]Accordingtothe2007editionofGuinnessWorldRecords,thisplantisthemostpoisonousintheworld.Despitethis,suicidesinvolvingingestionof
castorbeansareunheardofincountrieslikeIndiawherecastorgrowsabundantly
ontheroadsides.Theaversiontotheuseofthebeansinsuicidecouldbeduetothe
painfulandunpleasantsymptomsofoverdosingonricin,whichcanincludenausea,
diarrhea,tachycardia,hypotensionandseizurespersistingforuptoaweek.
However,thepoisoncanbeextractedfromcastorbyconcentratingitwithafairly
complicatedprocesssimilartothatusedforextractingcyanidefromalmonds.
Ifricinisingested,symptomsmaybedelayedbyupto36hoursbutcommonly
beginwithin2–4hours.Theseincludeaburningsensationinmouthandthroat,
abdominalpain,purgingandbloodydiarrhea.Withinseveraldaysthereissevere
dehydration,adropinbloodpressureandadecreaseinurine.Unlesstreated,death
canbeexpectedtooccurwithin3–5days,howeverinmostcasesafullrecoverycan
bemade.
Peachpits(Prunuspersica)
Fruitpitscanadduptoarealrisk,however,saidDr.MargaretDietert,whoteaches
acourseinmedicinalbotany.Apricotpits,forexample,containacompoundcalled
amygdalin,thesupposedlyactiveingredientinlaetrile,thediscreditedcancerdrug,
saidDr.RodneyDietert.Amygdalinisamemberoftheclassofchemicalscalled
cyanogenicglycosides,meaningthatitcanbebrokendownintocyanide,glucose
andbenzaldehydebyanenzyme,hesaid.
Astudyofthetoxicitylevelsofpeachesandapricotsclearlyshowsthat13to15raw
peachpitkernelswouldgetyouintothelethalrangeforadults,Dr.MargaretDietert
said.
Forapricots,thetoxicityvarieswidelyinatenfoldrange,dependingonvariety,she
said..Thewildapricotishighest,andsomearequitelow,butforavarietyinthe
middleleveloftoxicity,about17to20kernelswouldgetyouintothelethalrange.
Noonehassurvivedeatingmorethan38.
Forchildren,around15percentoftheadultlevelcouldbelethal,becausetheyare
extremelysusceptible.