Heart and Circulatory System

Question 1

Identifying information for Indian Snakeroot

Answer 1

of the periwinkle family, native to India and Asia

tapered and bitter tasting root used in Ayurvedic medicine

Question 2

What was snakeroot first known for?

Answer 2

Calming effects; treating mental disorders, agitation, soothing fretful babies
Holy men chewed the root while meditating

Question 3

What is the active compound in snakeroot?

Answer 3

the indole alkaloid reserpine

Question 4

What did clinical trials of snakeroot demonstrate?

Answer 4

hypotensive activity (reduction in blood pressure) and powerful sedative effects (relaxation without drowsiness)

Question 5

What does reserpine treat?

Answer 5

moderate to severe hypertension, and acute or chronic psychoses (schizophrenia)
Also marketed as a tranquilizer for treating general anxiety

Question 6

What neurotransmitters does reserpine deplete?

Answer 6

serotonin, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine

Question 7

Symptoms and treatment timeline of hypertension?

Answer 7

Symptoms of hypertension: fatigue, nervousness, heart palpitations
Treatment is generally completed within 3 to 6 weeks

Question 8

What is the cardiotonic activity in foxglove attributable to?

Answer 8

The cardiac glycosides digoxin and digitoxin

Question 9

What is dropsy caused by?

Answer 9

Weak heart, low blood pressure, compromised kidney

Can lead to heart failure

Question 10

Symptoms of dropsy

Answer 10

Accumulation of bodily fluids in the body cavity and limbs that results in swelling

Question 11

Who found the effectiveness of foxglove?

Answer 11

William Withering, wrote “Botanical Arrangements of all the Vegetables Naturally Growing in Great Britain”

Question 12

What are digoxin and digitoxin used for?

Answer 12

Used to treat congestive heart failure from hypertension and arteriosclerosis, and to restore normal heart rhythm
Increase strength of heart muscle, heart beat and heart action

Question 13

What are some side effects of digitalis drugs (digoxin)?

Answer 13

nausea, excessive salivation, headaches and fatigue

Question 14

Facts about digoxin

Answer 14

Most widely prescribed cardiotonic drug in North America and Europe
Research indicates that whole leaf extracts may be more effective than single isolated cardiac glycosides
Digitalis drug dosage varies among patients and must be carefully administered
Drugs provide temporary relief and must be taken regularly over the lifetime

Question 15

Where is quinine native to?

Answer 15

Andean highlands of South America and Central America

Question 16

What was quinine used for by Peruvian herbalists?

Answer 16

A fever remedy

Question 17

Who was quinine popularized by and what was it known by?

Answer 17

the Jesuit Cardinal John De Lugo

Became known as “Jesuit’s Powder” or “Lugo’s Powder”

Question 18

Why was quinine use limited in Europe?

Answer 18

There were anti-Catholic feelings, even though there was lots of malaria

Question 19

Who treated King Charles II for malaria with a secret recipe?

Answer 19

Robert Talbor

Question 20

Who unsuccessfully attempted to start quinine plantations and what happened?

Answer 20

The Dutch; barely any plants survived the journey and the yields of quinine were low

Question 21

_____ befriended a native Bolivian ______, who knew where high yielding quinine trees were

Answer 21

Charles Ledger

Manuel Incra Mamai

Question 22

What happened to Manuel Incra Mamai?

Answer 22

After selling 14 pounds of quinine seed to Charles Ledger, he died in jail for breaking the law of selling cinchona seed for export (quinine)

Question 23

Who had a monopoly on quinine production?

Answer 23

The Dutch until 1940, they had bought Ledger’s plants and grafted them onto the low yielding trees from before

Question 24

What caused the quinine Dutch monopoly to break up?

Answer 24

Introduction of DDT (reduced malaria), development of synthetic anti-malarial drugs, and independence of the Dutch colony of Java

Question 25

What is malaria caused by?

Answer 25

parasitic protozoans of the genus Plasmodium

Question 26

How is malaria transmitted?

Answer 26

to the blood by female Anopheles mosquitos

Question 27

What are symptoms of malaria?

Answer 27

fevers, chills, sweating, and liver and spleen become tender

Question 28

What does “mal aria” mean?

Answer 28

bad air (Italian), reflects the mistaken belief that it was caused by marsh gases

Question 29

Who died from malaria?

Answer 29

Alexander the Great and Oliver Cromwell

Question 30

What is quinidine used for?

Answer 30

To treat irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation)

Question 31

What is chloroquine?

Answer 31

A semi-synthetic anti-malarial which shows higher activity and lower toxicity than quinine

Question 32

What is hydroxchloroquine used for?

Answer 32

used to treat lupus (auto-immune disease)

Question 33

What quinolines were developed to treat chloroquine-resistant plasmodium?

Answer 33

lumefantrine and mefloquine

Question 34

Where is artemisinin/qinghao/sweet wormwood native to?

Answer 34

Asia and Europe, a member of the Aster family

Question 35

What is the active compound in sweet wormwood?

Answer 35

artemisinin, a sesquiterpenoid lactone

Question 36

Where has sweet wormwood been used for 2000 years as an anti-malarial agent?

Answer 36

China

Question 37

What is the commercial goal for artemisinin production?

Answer 37

$0.50 per dose

Question 38

How does artemisinin/qinghao/sweet wormwood compare to chloroquine cost?

Answer 38

$2.50 per treatment versus a few cents