Pages 9, 10, And 11- Poisonous Fungi And Plants Flashcards

1
Q

Name the poisonous fungis

A

Fungal mold (aspergillus sp.)
Fungal ergot (claviceps pupurea)
Death cap (Amanita phalloids )

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2
Q

Fungal molds (aspergillus sp.) are poisonous esp 2 types. Which are they

A

Aspergillus. Flavus
A.parasiticus
They produce aflatoxins

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3
Q

Why are aspergillus serious health hazards ?

A

Since agriculture products may be effected both before and following harvest.
These toxins remain in food long after the fungus dies and therefore products contaminated by fungal mold is not visibly moldy .

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4
Q

Most common crops effected by fungal molds?

A

Corn
Peanuts
Cottonseed
Rice
Nuts
Cereal grains
Fruits

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5
Q

Fungal mold from animal feeds are passed on to….

A

Eggs
Milk
Meat
And people who consume this

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6
Q

Aflatoxins

A

Potent Carcinogens, interact directly with DNA and effect the trancripstion of genetic matrperial

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7
Q

Aflatoxins are potent carcinogens and can cause ………… ……….. and ………… ……. ………….

A

Liver tumor
Liver cell degeneration

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8
Q

…………….. are particularly suspected to aflatoxin poisoning

A

Children

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9
Q

Name all the poisonous plants

A

Monkshood
Poison hemlock
Water hemlock
Caster bean
Rosary pea

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10
Q

Define fungal ergot

A

Fungal ergot is a parasite of some cereal grains (particularly rye ) and forage grasses specially those abundant in wet summers

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11
Q

What happens once the fungus attacks the cereal grains?

A

Once the fungal attacks the mature cereal grains it produces a sclerotia

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12
Q

Define a sclerotia

A

Purplish-black compact and hardened fungal mycelium structure

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13
Q

How can fungal ergot reach human

A

Humans can accidentally ingest fungal ergot in form of contaminated milled flour

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14
Q

Does baking destroy fungal ergot ?

A

No

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15
Q

Daily ingestion of small amounts of fungal ergot contaminated bread can cause

A

Chronic poisoning

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16
Q

What are the causes of fungal ergot / symptoms of ergotism

A

Chronic poisoning
Incalculable suffering
Death

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17
Q

Where was accidental poisoning by fungal ergot common ?

A

Common in Europa during middle ages specially where rye was found

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18
Q

Ergotism was known as ……………… during middle ages in Europe

A

St Anthonys fire

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19
Q

State the records of outbreaks of fungal ergots

A

857 in Rhine Valley of Germany
994 in France killed 40k people
1039 in France

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20
Q

What was the name of the first hospital establisher for treatment of ergotism? Why was it built and who was it dedicated to?

A

The serious outbreak in 1039
Gaston de la vAlloire established the school
Dedicated to St Anthony

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21
Q

How many hospitals were built for ergotism?

A

370 such hospitals (ass with the church) were build in next few 100yrs.

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22
Q

How did ergotism victims come to believe in healing powers of the church?

A

They were fed bread eaten by the clergy
This bread was lighter and make from wheat that isn’t infested with fungal ergot or uncontaminated rye.
Therefore their symptoms soon disappeared

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23
Q

Why are the symptoms pf ergot highly variable?

A

Symptoms depends on specific biochemical genetic makeup of contaminating ergot strain.
The type pf ergotism
The type of active alkaloids

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24
Q

What are the two types of horrific ergotism?

A

Gangrenous ergotism
Convulsive ergotism

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25
Q

What are the initial symtoms of gangerous ergotism?

A

1st stage tingling in the extremity, vomiting, diarrhea
2nd stage extrimities become gangerous , hallucinations
3rd stage entire limbs are effected, severe pain as blood flows to the extremities declines
4rth stage - limbs separate from the body

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26
Q

What are the symptoms of convulsive ergotism?

A

1,2,stages are same
3rd - painful uncontrollable spasms of limb muscles
4rth - death

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27
Q

What are the 2 main groups of active alkaloids in ergot?

A

1- Ergonovine
1- Ergotamine

2- lysergic acid derivatives

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28
Q

Whats the symptoms pf the 1st group of alkaloids

A

Contraction of smooth muscles esp digestive tract
Causes gangrenous and its symtoms

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29
Q

What the symptoms of the 2nd group?

A

Visual and auditory hallucination

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30
Q

Explain 2 situations of the past that woudl have been caused by fungal ergot

A

Ergot toxications and religious vissions
Ergot toxication and witchcraft/demonic possession
Ergot and folk medicine

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31
Q

Explain ergot toxication and religious vissions

A

Occurred mostly in middle ages in catholic churches
Ergot induced hallucination was manifested as religious imagery

32
Q

Explain ergot and witchcraft

A

Occurred in Europe, colonial America, and Puritan colony of salem in 1692
In poturi colony , many childern experienced w’witchcraft symtoms’ like convulsions, mental disturbances and perceptual distortions
20 men and women were hanged to death for the ‘demonic possessions’ of those childrens

It is know that salem witch trials were driven by group hysteria but the symptoms were consistent with fungal ergot and rye was grown for bread making in salem

33
Q

Explain the trend that r3earchers found btw demonic possessions and fungal ergot

A

More ‘demonic possession’ occurrences noticed during wet lands in summer (perfect season for ergot)
Demonic possession and witchcraft in Norway and Scotland only reported in areas where rye was grown for bread making

34
Q

Explain ergot in fold medicine

A

Ergot was carefully used to induce labour as it stimulates contracting of uterine muscles
Ergot was also used to control uterine hemorrhage
In 1940, 2k of ergot was exported to US to induce labour. Now safer alternatives are available

35
Q

Define death cap

A

Most dangerousb of all basidiomycetes and accounts for 90% of the fatalities in Eurasia and N.A

36
Q

One eg of death cap

A

The straw mushroom
Gyromitra esculenta
Entoloma sinuatum

37
Q

What are the symptoms following ingestion of death cap?

A

Ten hour latency long period before onset of poisoning symptosms
Abdominal craming, nausea, vomiting
Remission occurs the following day
Intense pain + liver and kidneys failure
Death if person isnt treated

38
Q

How does death occur in each sp. of basidiomycetes/death cap

A

Amanita phalloids - death cap - the asian straw - cell destruction- 90% of death bcz mushroom looks edible.
Gyromitra esculenta - cell destruction - way less death bcz mushroom doesn’t look edible
Entoloma Sinuatum - poisoning by enteritis/inflammation of the small intestines - way less death for similar reasons

39
Q

Define Monshood

A

A member of the buttercup family which is a herbaceous native to europe
Grown as an ornamental plant in both Europe and N.America

40
Q

What part of the monkshood are poisonous?

A

All part, esp the roots and tubers

41
Q

What alkaloid is found in this poisonous plant?

A

Aconitine

42
Q

What are the poisoning symptoms of the monkshood?

A

Muscle tingling and numbness
Staggering gait
Crawling sensation on the skin
Nausea and vomiting
Laboured breathing
Irregular pulse

43
Q

Describe various ways in which monkshood was used in the past?

A

1- in ancient greece infirm men (week, ill, old) were condemned to drink infusion of monkshood
2- closely related Himalayan monkshood was to poison well water to stop armies from advancing
3- monk shood was used medicinally in 1800 and 1900
4- related sps was also used as arrow poison

44
Q

How was monkshood used medicinally?

A

-A tincture of monkshood was used to diminish the pulse and releive the pain assosciated with neuralgia, pleurisy and andurisms (swelling of the arterial wall)

45
Q

Define Poison hemlock

A

Member pd the carrot family .

46
Q

Poison hemlock is native to?

A

Europe and neutralized in N.America

47
Q

Which greek philosopher chose to be executed by the poison hemlock?

A

Socrats

48
Q

What are the active poison componentin poison hemlock?

A

Pyridine alkaloids - coniine and related componenets

49
Q

What are the poisonous symptoms of posion hemlock

A

1-Coniine stimulates and paralyses the nicotine receptors of the CNS
2-In large dosses acts as a powerful depressant, causing neuromuscular blockage, paralysis and dangerous lowering of blood pressure
3- death by collapse of cardiovascular system

50
Q

Define water hemlock

A

The genus Cicuta, another member of the Apiceae family includes 3 poisonous herbaceous species

51
Q

What are the 3 poisonous herbaceous species of water hemlock

A

C.virosa (native to europe)
C.maculata (native to North American )
C.douglasii (native to pacific north america)

52
Q

What is the poisonous components of water hemlock

A

Acetylenic alcohol - cicutoxin

53
Q

Where do the highest concentration of cicutoxin occur?

A

Occur in taproot, which resembles and often mistaken for parsnip.

54
Q

How do most poisoning casses occur ?

A

Ingest of wild parsnips that were actually water hemlock

55
Q

Define cucotoxin

A

Cicutoxin is a violent convulsant that acts directly on the CNS.

56
Q

What are the symptoms of poisoning of water hemlock?

A

Occurs 30 mins of ingestion
Vomiting
Convulsions
Severe seizures
Periodic cessations of breathing
Higher doses - death

57
Q

What poisonous sps has alkaloids as its poisonous compound ?

A
58
Q

Define Caster bean

A

Large herbaceous euphorb of family Euphorbiaceae native to tropical Africa. Cultivated as an ornamental plant for its distinctive foliage , showy flowers and large shiny seeds

59
Q

What other poisonous sps is used as an ornamental piece?

A
60
Q

Caster oil acts as a ….?

A

Lacative

61
Q

What part of the caster bean is dangerous ?

A

The whole seed or extracts other then castor oil.

62
Q

What is the poisonous compound in caster bean ?

A

Lectin - ricin
Ricin is an ext poisonous lactin

63
Q

Define lectins

A

Lectins are plant glycoproteins with actions resembling those of a specific antibody eg agglutination and percipitation

64
Q

Why are Glycoproteins not true antibodies?

A

Because they dont require a antigenic stimulus

65
Q

Where is the ricin absorbed from?

A

Gastrovascular tract

66
Q

Poisonous symptoms of ricin?

A

Causes agglutination (clumping) and hemolysis (destruction) of RBCs
Leading to severe hemorrhage, gastrointestinal swelling, kidney degradation and death

67
Q

How was ricin used in the past?

A

1989 - US - Biological Weapons Anti Terrorist Act threatened illegal use of ricin
1993- an American citizen was arrested for carrying 130g of ricin , enough to kill half million people
1978 - used by soviet KGB to murder Bulgarian journalist Georgi Markov
Ricin is ranked 3rd most toxin in FBI after plutonium and botulism toxin

68
Q

What is the toxicity level of ricin?

A

6k more toxic then cyanide
12k more toxin then rattlesnake venom

69
Q

Define rosary pea

A

Slender , perennial, leguminous climbing vine native to India and tropical east Asia

70
Q

What does rosary pea produce?

A

Hard bright red black seeds that are used in beading

71
Q

What part of rosary pea are poisonous?

A

The seeds

72
Q

What is the principle toxin?

A

A plant glycoprotein - abrin

73
Q

Abrin is similar to toxin …………….. and in what ways .

A

Ricin,
In structure and mode of action

74
Q

Which is more toxic and dangerous ? Abrin or ricin and why?

A

Abrin is more biologically toxic but less dangerous
Because it is absorbed from the gut to the bloodstream very slowly

75
Q

What poisonous sps has glycoproteins as it toxic compounds?

A
76
Q

Plant lectins are concerned by which governmental area? And why?

A

Anti- terrorism
Lectins could be used as biological weapons, administered as powders, mists, pallets and can be dissolved in water.