Medicinal Plants: Muscoskeletal System-Muscle Relaxants Flashcards
1
Q
Curare
BOTANICAL INFORMATION:
A
- Amazonina
- Loganiaceae and Menipsermaceae families
- Vine species
2
Q
Curare
HISTORY AS A MEDICINAL PLANT:
A
- Toxic plants mixtures used as arrow poisons
- Inner stem bark used, collect the concentrate, rolled onto dart tips
- Alkaloids-toxiferine (loganiaceae family) and tubocurarine (menispermaceae family)
- Muscle relaxants, causing paralysis when injected into the bloodstream
- Victim remains motionless but fully conscious until death by respiratory failure
- Reversible if patient is kept alive using an artificial respirator, muscle function returns to normal
3
Q
Curare
MODERN UTILIZATION:
A
- Richard Gill-use of curare as a surgical muscle relaxant
- Material was collected from Ecuador and Peru
- Harold Griffith-first surgeon to use isolated tubocurarine
- Species became over-harvested and near-extinction, lead to development of safe semi-synthetics
- Neuromuscular blocking agents that compete with acetylcholine to prevent the development of nerve action potential, resulting in muscle relaxation and paralysis