Muscoskeletal

Question 1

Curare used by indigenous groups in what region?
What part of plant used

Answer 1

Amazonian region
Inner stem bark scraped and filtered

Question 2

What plant families used in curare provide the poison
What are the active compounds
How do they work as poison

Answer 2

Loganiaceae
- Strychnos spp : indole alkaloids (toxiferine)
Menispermaneae
- Condrodendron and Curarea : isoquoline alkaloids (tubocurarine)

They are powerful muscle relaxants - paralysis. Death through respiratory failure. Binds reversibly to acetylcholine

Question 3

Effects of curare on the body

Answer 3

Paralyze face, limbs, then abdomen – respiratory arrest.
If ventilated artificially, possible to survive, paralysis is reversible.

Question 4

American History

Answer 4

Richard Gill was sole supplier of curare to pharmaceutical company Squibb and Sons. They isolated tubocurarine, widely used in clinical surgery (harrold griffith), overharvested plants, produced semisynthetics

Question 5

Aconatine spp (Monkshood)
Where it was used
Active compound

Answer 5

Arrow poison in North-east Asia (siberia), India, Europe, Alaska
Contains Aconitine (alkaloid)

Question 6

Upas Tree (Antiaris toxicaria)

Answer 6

Latex (from bark and foliage)
Mulberry (moraceae) family
Southeast Asia
Cardenolide glycosides: antiarin
— cardiac arrest

Question 7

Dogbane (apocynaceae) family

Answer 7

Latex rich cardenolide glycosides: oubain
Central Africa

Question 8

Cardiac glycosides treatment for what?

Answer 8

Congestive heart failure, safer semi synthetics created
Cardenolides for inflammatory diseases (cystic fibrosis) and anti-cancer

Question 9

Calotropis procera
effect

Answer 9

Analgesic reduction of pain, independent of opioid system

Question 10

Strychnos usambarensis,
Other Strychnos spp.
Effects

Answer 10

Africa: muscle paralysis
other spp convulsants : alkaloids strychnine and bruchine.
Southeast Asia and India