BIOB38H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Shennong, Avicenna, Willow
27 Oct 2016
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Characteristics/effects: stored in cell vacuoles that are broken when a herbivore bites leaf, upon release, combines with proteins, including enzymes necessary for digestion. Used extensively for aromatic qualities, important in traditional herbal remedies. Multitude of different functional groups and basic c-skeletons. Chemically very diverse, with sugar compound (glyco-) attached to the active compound. Saponins: amphipathic glycosides with at least one hydrophilic part combined with a lipophilic part, destroy hydrophilic cell membrane component. Interfere with heart functions: can induce heart attack in small animals, exception: monarch butterfly larvae feeds on milkweed (cardioactive glycoside, monarchs are immune to the chemical and it for protection from birds. Very diverse group of compounds, all containing nitrogen, alkaline. 20% of temperate plants contain alkaloids (caffeine, nicotine, morphine) Neanderthals (60,000 bp: discovery of pollens in burial sites. Sumerians (4000 bp: cuneiform tablets with detailed descriptions for the preparation of numerous remedies.
