Essential oils and saponins

Question 1

Terpenic substances:

Monoterpens (essential, aromatic oils) Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)

Answer 1

• Essential oil with thujone, which is neurotoxic (inhibition of GABA) and hepatotoxic. Formerly found in an alcoholic drink called absinth (Artemisia plant, absinthe, wormwood) .
• The powder made from tansy was used as an antiparasitic agent against fleas.
• Now it is obsolete, so poisonings are less common and appear mainly in ruminants.
  

Question 2

White cedar (Thuja occidentalis)

Monoterpens

Answer 2

• Contains essential oil, main substance is thujone – similar to tansy.
• Locally irritating and after ingestion causes GIT problems – vomiting, diarrhoea, damage of liver tissue, increase in blood pressure, lung oedema that can result in
  death.
• Therapy is in both thujone containing plans only symptomatic.
  Diterpens

Question 3

Wolf ’s milk (family Euphorbiaceae)

Answer 3

• Contains latex milk with diterpens, which are highly toxic (liver, kidney). Diterpens cause also local irritation, allergies (even fierce allergic reaction with a rash and a necrosis of mucosas and skin within short time) and can promote skin cancer development.
• On the other hand, their taste is so bitter that animals don’t eat them, so most often only mouth and skin become the affected parts of the body.
• Specific care should be taken in case latex comes into contact with eyes, which might be superficially damaged and healing with scars can cause blindness.
• Treatment is only symptomatic.

Question 4

Triterpens

- Many types, most common are saponines

Answer 4

• Saponines have steroid structure and can exchange with cholesterol in the membranes of the cells, which leads to changed surface tension, permeability and can lead to cell lysis.
• Mainly enterocytes and erythrocytes are affected, also kidneys can be damaged by released hemoglobin.
• Among plants containing triterpens/saponines belong cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum), common ivy (Hedera helix) or dracaena.