Toxin of the week
Here you will find short descriptions of natural toxins. Each week will bring a new description as 'Toxin of the week' (except for breaks during summer vacation etc). All 15 fellows and other members of the NaToxAq consortium will contribute. For each description the author will be indicated.
The toxins are listed below according to date, and in the menu to the left they are sorted alphabetically.
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2019.06.24
A teratogenic, respiratory stimulant (with nicotine-like activity) and a hallucinogenic alkaloid.
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2019.06.17
Echium plantagineum is a plant that has caused much debate within Australia for over a 100 years
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2019.05.27
Tannins are phenolic polymers that help plants deter herbivores through toxicity and impalatability.
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2019.05.20
Kahweol is an antioxidant diterpene, mostly present in unfiltered coffee. After water, coffee is the
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2019.05.13
Gramine is an indole alkaloid found in various higher plants, including agriculturally relevant
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2019.05.06
The compounds are nephrotoxic and carcinogenic, and are the causative factor for the Balkan endemic
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2019.04.29
Catechins are well known as antioxidants and used traditionally to prevent several diseases.
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2019.04.08
Wild forms of mushrooms are often poisonous and visually mimic the edible ones, thus leading to
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2019.04.01
Beware approaching a busy person before their first coffee. Here is a closer look at the active
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2019.03.25
It has shown promising results as inhibitor of angiogenesis in carcinoma tumors, repressing
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2019.03.18
The class of microginin it is a very interesting class of biological active molecules due to its
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2019.03.11
Lycorine is a toxic natural alkaloid produced by most species of Amaryllidaceae family
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2019.03.04
Xanthotoxol or 8-hydroxypsoralen is a furanocoumarin generally isolated from Aegle marmelos (bael
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2019.02.25
Maitotoxin is one of the largest and most toxic non-protein and non-polysaccharide molecules
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2019.01.07
Hydroxyptaquiloside analogue ptesculentoside demonstrate similar chemical reactivity and is even
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2018.12.17
Intensely poisonous to human and other mammals, causing paralysis of voluntary and cardiac muscles
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2018.12.12
Rotenone is a broad-spectrum piscicide and insecticide used for e.g. the elimination of invasive
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2018.12.03
Despite its toxicity, holly has been connected to Christmas time for centuries, is used for
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2018.11.26
For a long time period in history extracts of Digitalis have been widely used in folk medicine for
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2018.11.19
Despite toxic, cucurbitacin is being studied as a drug for its pharmacological potential, due to its
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2018.11.12
The intake of retinoic compounds, e.g. vitamin A, has to be monitored to prevent adverse effects on
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2018.11.05
This weed is a widespread problem, invading agricultural land and poisoning livestock
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2018.10.29
Cyanobacteria have been extensively studied since the 1970s since their toxins have imposed a threat
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2018.10.22
Geosmin and 2-Methylisoborneol are frequently occurring representatives of a vast range of taste and
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2018.10.15
Is it a threat for humans or not? It is important to highlight that not all the natural toxins can
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2018.10.08
Juglone is a herbicide, allowing the plants to retard the growth of other competing plants nearby.
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2018.10.01
Tutin is a neurotoxin found in the tutu plants (Coriaria spp.), native to New Zealand. Intoxication
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2018.09.24
A touch of the sap of the plants containing furanocoumarins causes painful inflammation of the skin
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2018.09.17
Quercetin is found in large range of plant species, however most often in one of its conjugated
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2018.09.10
Ergotamine is a naturally occurring ergot alkaloid. It causes constriction of blood vessels.
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2018.09.03
P. somniferium is grown as agricultural crop for the production of either poppy seeds, poppy seed
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2018.08.27
Rhubarbs are among the most popular vegetables found at European consumer markets. The edible stalks
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2018.08.20
Glycyrrhizin is responsible for sweet flavor in licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) and can cause
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2018.05.22
Puwainaphycins represent a novel class of cyclic (lipo-) peptides that have cardioactive functions.
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2018.05.14
Accidental and intended intoxications by ricin in humans and animals have been known for centuries
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2018.05.07
Anatoxin-a(S) is a neurotoxic cyanobacterial secondary metabolite exerting a mode of action similar
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2018.04.30
Ragwort causes a great number of animal loses due to poisoning
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2018.04.24
Aeruginosin 828A showed not only strong inhibition against thrombin and trypsin but was also found
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2018.04.16
When picking wild garlic (Allium ursinum), you better take care not to mistake the
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2018.04.09
Sparteine is one of the quinolizidine alkaloids that show acute oral toxicity due to neurological
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2018.04.02
Ordinary food products, especially spices, may contain moderate amounts of toxins
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2018.03.26
Traditionally the seeds of rosary pea (Abrus precatorius) have been made into bracelets and
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2018.03.19
Cicutoxin is a poisonous natural compound extractable from Cicuta species. It causes disruption of
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2018.03.12
Phytoestrogens can have both positive and negative effects.
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2018.03.05
There is a long history of toxicosis associated with the consumption of Fusarium-infected cereals by
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2018.02.26
Nicotine has been used as a natural insecticide and is the archetype for the large range of
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2018.02.19
Galanthamine is one of the toxins produced by several plants from family Amaryllidaceae, such as
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2018.02.12
Responsible for major complications in the treatment of bacterial infections, lipopolysaccharides
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2018.02.05
Strychnine is a highly poisonous natural compound well known to chemists as well as to the broader
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2018.01.29
Cylindrospermopsins are cyanobacterial secondary metabolites capable of causing severe damage to the
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2018.01.22
Aconitine binds with sodium channels, changing the conformation to an activated state and therefore,
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2018.01.15
Cyanobacteria are frequently involved in the formation of harmful algal blooms wherein, apart from
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2018.01.08
The phytotoxin Senecionine is one of over 660 known secondary metabolites of the pyrrolizidine
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2017.12.11
Lupinine and other alkaloids give a bitter tasting for Lupinus species (lupins), plants of the
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2017.12.04
The cardiac glycoside Oleandrin is named under a blossoming plant oleander which synthesizes this
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2017.11.27
Nodularins are produced by the cyanobacteria Nodularia spumigena
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2017.11.20
Coniine, a piperidine alkaloid, is a nicotinic antagonist, which disrupts the function of central
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2017.11.13
Many furanocoumarins are phototoxic and can cause phytophotodermatitis (skin inflammation and burns)
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2017.11.06
Gossypol is a toxic polyphenolic compound found in the pigment glands throughout the plant, and may
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2017.10.30
Lyngbyatoxin was investigated after some dermatitis cases, due by reports of “swimmer’s itch” which
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2017.10.23
Aflatoxins are a carcinogenic group of mycotoxins produced by certain molds from genera Aspergillus.
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2017.10.16
Saponins are distinguished by their bitter taste, and ability to haemolyse red blood cells.
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2017.10.09
Saxitoxins - produced by organisms from different taxonomic kingdoms - dinoflagellates and
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2017.10.02
Anatoxin A (ATX-A) is a semi-rigid bicyclic secondary amine molecule that presents acute neurotoxic
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2017.09.25
Grayanotoxin is found in plants of the Ericaceae (heath) family including: Rhododendron spp.—azaleas
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2017.09.18
Some serogroups of the faecal bacterium Escherichia coli produce Shiga toxins Stx1 and Stx2. E. coli
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2017.09.11
Cyanotoxins are a structurally diverse group of secondary metabolites often co-produced by various
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2017.08.28
Solanine is a general name for a family of alkaloidal glycosides that are produced by plants in the
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2017.08.21
Pastures or grasslands with red clover produce tens to hundreds of kg per year of estrogenic
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2017.06.25
Cyanobacteria, belonging to the world’s oldest eukaryotic inhabitants, produce many secondary
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2017.06.19
Alkaloids are very important phytotoxins occurring in plants all over the world. (S)-(-)-Hyoscyamine
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2017.06.12
Cardenolides are steroids found in plant species all over the world. Many of them contain one or
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2017.06.06
Thujone is a natural toxin produced by many plant species e.g. Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium),
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2017.05.29
Terpene glycosides are found in a variety of plants. Ptaquiloside is one the most studied among this
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2017.05.22
Cyanogenic glucosides are common in crop and non-crop plants. On hydrolysis toxic hydrogencyanide is
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2019.06.24
2019.06.17
2019.05.27
2019.05.20
2019.05.13
2019.05.06
2019.04.29
2019.04.08
2019.04.01
2019.03.25
2019.03.18
2019.03.11
2019.03.04
2019.02.25
2019.01.07
2018.12.17
2018.12.12
2018.12.03
2018.11.26
2018.11.19
2018.11.12
2018.10.29
2018.10.22
2018.10.15
2018.10.08
2018.10.01
2018.09.24
2018.09.17
2018.09.10
2018.09.03
2018.08.27
2018.08.20
2018.05.22
2018.05.14
2018.05.07
2018.04.30
2018.04.24
2018.04.16
2018.04.09
2018.04.02
2018.03.26
2018.03.19
2018.03.12
2018.03.05
2018.02.26
2018.02.19
2018.02.12
2018.02.05
2018.01.29
2018.01.22
2018.01.15
2018.01.08
2017.12.11
2017.12.04
2017.11.27
2017.11.20
2017.11.13
2017.11.06
2017.10.30
2017.10.23
2017.10.16
2017.10.09
2017.10.02
2017.09.25
2017.09.18
2017.09.11
2017.08.28
2017.08.21
2017.06.25
2017.06.19
2017.06.12
2017.06.06
2017.05.29
2017.05.22