Plants and Cancer Flashcards
1
Q
cancer
A
rapid and uncontrolled formation and growth of abnormal cells in the body
2
Q
examples of plants that contain carcinogens
A
- nicotine (tobacco leaves, tannins, etc)
- really highly acidic tea or coffee
3
Q
Podophyllum peltatum
A
- May apple
- root extract, long history among indigenous peoples of American Northeast in treating skin cancers
4
Q
Active Ingredients of the May Apple
A
- aliphatic alkaloids, podophyllins
- podophyllotoxin and alpha-peltatin (controls cancer by arresting cell division, inhibits DNA synthesis during S-phase)
5
Q
Podophyllotoxin mode of action
A
- stops replication cellular and viral DNA replication
- destabilizes microtubules to prevent cell division
6
Q
Podophyllotoxin uses in Modern Medicine
A
- used to treat HPV
- derivatives used to treat cancer
7
Q
side effect of Podophyllotoxin
A
- embryotoxic
8
Q
Colchicum autumnale
A
- Autumn Crocus
- extracts inhibit cell division
- contains the alkaloid colchicine
- disrupts spindle formation during mitosis
9
Q
Colchicine mode of action
A
- inhibits mitosis
- disrupts microtubules
10
Q
Colchicine uses in Modern Medicine
A
- used to treat gout
- derivatives used to treat cancer
11
Q
Side effects of Colchicine
A
- narrow therapeutic index results in OD
- damage bone marrow
12
Q
Trifolium pratense
A
- Red clover
- salve made from flowers
- isoflavone genistein as anti-oxidant
- suggested to be effective against breast cancer
13
Q
Where does Taxus brevifolia originate from
A
- Pacific Yew
- gymnosperm
14
Q
Yew tree and Taxol
A
- genus: Taxus
- evergreen trees/shrubs
- dioecious
- separate male/female plants
- contains taxine
15
Q
Taxine
A
a toxic alkaloid assemblage composed of more than seven alkaloids
16
Q
English Yew
A
- 1000 years old
- second oldest tree on planet
- economic uses: “the ice man”, long-bow (robin hood)
17
Q
Pacific Yew
A
- endemic to Pacific coastal rain forests of mountains of Western North America
- shade tree, very slow growing
18
Q
Where is the highest concentration of Taxol found?
A
- in the bark
- very low yield
- 0.007% on a bark dry weight basis
19
Q
Taxol Mode of Action
A
- worked out in 1979
- blocks cell replication
- M phase of the cell cycle (mitosis and cytokinesis) - prophase, microtubules assemble to form spindle
- late anaphase/telophase the spindle structure is lost
20
Q
Vincristine and vinblastine
A
- stop cell cycle by blocking microtubule assembly
- spindle formation inhibited
21
Q
Taxol Supply Problem
A
- course of treatment with taxol requires about 2 grams of taxol
- requires about 15 kg of bark
- national cancer institute set a goal of 12 000 patients a year
22
Q
A
