Muhammad Shakil Sarker / Md. Shakil Sarker/ মো: শাকিল taks about Poisonous Plant

1. Poisonous Plants and Natural Pesticides Definition of Poisonous Plants: A poisonous plant is one which, as a whole or a part thereof, under all or certain conditions and in a manner and in amount to be taken or brought into contact with an organism will exert or cause death either immediately or by reason of cumulative action of the toxic property due to the presence of known or unknown chemical substance in it, and not by mechanical method. Definition of Natural Pesticides: Pest is any animal, plant or microorganism that causes trouble, injuries or destruction; therefore, pesticide may be defined simply as chemical agents used to control or eliminate pest. Datura/ Stramonium Synonyms: Thornapple leaves; Jimson or Jamestown weed; Dhatura; Stinkweed; Devil's apple: Apple of Peru; Folia stramonii.

2. Biological Source: Stramonlum consists of dried leaves and flowering tops of Datura stramonium Linn. or its variety D. tatula . Family: Solanaceae. Geographical Source/Distribution: It is found in India, England and other tropical and sub-tropical countries. Chemical Constituents: Stramonium contains 0.2-0.6% alkaloids. The main alkaloids are hyoscyamine and hyoscine (scopolamine). It also contains protein albumin. The Indian variety (D. metel) also possesses meteloidine in addition to these alkaloids. Uses: Stramonium is an anticholinergic and has an action like that of belladonna. In Ayurveda black datura is considered more efficacious or more toxic. D. metel is used in the manufacture of hyo-scine or scopolamine. It exhibits parasympatholytic with anticholinergic and CNS depressant effects. The drug is used in cerebral excitement, asthma and in cough. Poison Hemlock

3. Synonyms: hemlock, poison hemlock, wild hemlock. Biological Source:All parts such as the seeds, flowers, leaves, or fruits of Conium maculatum L. contain toxic alkaloids that can be fatal even in small amounts. Family: Apiaceae Geographical Source/Distribution: The hemlock plant is native to Europe and the Mediterranean region.It has become naturalised in Asia, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Chemical Constituents: It contains some piperidine alkaloids like coniine, N-methyl-coniine, conhydrine, pseudoconhydrine, gamma-coniceine, which are formed by the cyclisation of an eight-carbon chain derived from four acetate units. gamma-Coniceine is the precursor of the other hemlock alkaloids. Uses:As a medicine, hemlock has sedative and antispasmodic properties. Despite serious safety concerns, hemlock leaves, root, and seeds are used to make medicine. It is used for breathing problems including bronchitis, whooping cough, and asthma; and for painful conditions including teething in children, swollen and painful joints, and cramps. Hemlock is also used for anxiety and mania. Water Hemlock Synonyms: Cicuta, poison parsnip, spotted cowbane, spotted water hemlock, and spotted parsley. Biological Source: All parts of Cicuta virosa, Cicuta maculata are toxic, but the poison is especially virulent from the roots.

4. Family: Apiaceae Geographical Source/Distribution: Cicuta spp. are found growing across North America and Europe. Cicuta maculata has the most widespread distribution occurring across the majority of North America. Chemical Constituents: Cicutoxin, isocicutoxin, cicutol, oenanthotoxin , oenanthetol, oenanththetone, and virols A, B, and C have been isolated from Water Hemlock Uses: Even though water hemlock is extremely poisonous, it is used as a medicine for migraineheadaches, painful menstruation, and worms in the intestines. Some people apply water hemlock directly to the skin for redness and swelling (inflammation). Foxglove /Digitalis Synonyms: Digitalis, purple foxglove, finger flower, lady’s glove, Fox-glove Leaves, Folia Digitalis. Biological Sources: Digitalis consists of dried leaves of Digitalis purpurea Linn., belonging to family Scrophulariaceae.

5. Family: Scrophulariaceae. Geographical Source / Distribution: It is mainly found in England, Germany, France, North America, India, Iraq, Japan, Kurdistan, Mexico, Nepal, Spain, Turkey. Chemical Constituents: Digitalis leaves contains 0.2–0.45% of both primary and secondary glycosides. Purpurea glycosides A and B and glucogitoloxin are primary glycosides. Purpurea glycosides A and B are present in fresh leaves and by their hydrolysis digitoxin and glucose or gitoxin and glucose are obtained respectively. Digitalis leaves also con-tains glycosides like odoroside-H, gitaloxin, verodoxin and glucoverodoxin. Uses: Digitalis Is used as a cardiac stimulant and tonic.The drug stimulates cardiac muscles, increases the systole of heart ventricle and normalizes the heart frequency. In this way the drug Is useful in congestive heart failure, atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation. Ipomoea Synonyms: morning glory, water convolvulus or kangkung, sweet potato, bindweed, moonflower. Radix ipomoeae, Orizaba jalap root, Mexican scammony root, Mexican scammony, Ipomoea radix. Biological Sources: Ipomoea consists of the dried tuberous roots of Ipomoea orizabensis Family: Convolvulacae. Geographical Source/Distribution: It is mainly found in Mexico (Orizabs), Mexican Andes.

6. Chemical Constituents: Ipomoea consist of 10 to 20% resin, volatile oil and some fatty acids. The resin has an ether soluble portion and ether insoluble portion. Both the portions contain jalapin; a mixture of acidic glycosides. Ether soluble portion has jala-pinolic acid, whereas in ether insoluble part it has hydroxy fatty acids, that is, ipurolic acid and convolvullinic acid. Uses: Ipomoea Is used as cathartic with hydragogue activity and for preparation of resin. Tobacco Synonyms: Leaf Tobacco: Tamaku (Hindi). Biological Source: Tobacco consists of the cured and dried leaves of Nicotiana tabacum. Family: Solanaceae.

7. Geographical Source/ Distribution:Tobacco is indigenous to tropical America. It is cultivated on large scale in China, United States and India. It is also produced in Brazil, Turkey, Russia and Italy. Chemical Constituents: Tobacco contains several pyridine alkaloids (4-6%) of which nicotine (0.6-9%) is the most important. The other basic components are nicotyrine. nicotimlne. l-nornicotlne, d-nornlcotlne, piperidine, pyrrolidine, anabasine, anatabine, etc. Tobacco contains 25-50% carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, starch, pectins, cellulose, and lignin. Dextrin, maltose, stachyose, raffinose, rhamnose, ribose, Inositol and sorbitol have been identified. Tobacco contains a high percentage of organic acids (-20%), mainly malic, citric acid and oxalic acids. Uses:Tobacco is sedative, narcotic, emetic, antiseptic, used in rheumatic swelling, skin diseases and for insect poisoning. It is widely used for smoking and as agricultural Insecticide. Tobacco snuff is useful in nasal polypi, nasal catarrh, headache, chronic giddiness and fainting. Its excessive use produces dispepsia, chronic inflammation of bronchial mucous membrane, nervous depression, diseases of liver, sleeplessness, general anaemia, loss of vision or blindness, weakness, cancer, throat troubles, mental fatigue and cardiac diseases. Poppy

8. Synonyms: Crude Opium; Raw Opium; Gum Opium; Afim; Post. Biological Source: Opium is the air dried milky latex obtained by incision from the unripe capsules of Papaver somniferum or its variety P. album . Family: Papaveraceae. Geographical Source/ Distribution: It is mainly found in Turkey, Russia, Yugoslavia, Tasmania, India, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, China, Burma, Thailand and Laos. In India, Opium is cultivated in M.P. (Neemuch) and U.P. for alkaloidal extraction and seed production. Chemical Constituents: Opium contains about 35 alkaloids among which morphine (10–16%) is the most important base. The alkaloids are combined with meconic acid. The other alkaloids isolated from the drug are codeine (0.8–2.5%), narcotine, the-baine (0.5–2%). noscapine (4–8%), narceine and papaverine (0.5–2.5%). Morphine contains a phenanthrene nucleus. The different types of alkaloids isolated are:1. Morphine Type: Morphine, codeine, neopine, pseudo or oxymorphine, thebaine and porphyroxine. Morphine consists of alkaloids which has phenanthrene nucleus whereas those of the papaverine group has benzyliso-quinoline structure. Protopine and hydrocotamine are of different structural types. The morphine molecule has both a phenolic and an alcoholic hydroxyl group and acetylated form is diacetyl morphine or heroin. Codeine is ether of morphine (methyl-morphine). Other morphine ethers which are used medicinally are ethylmorphine and pholcodine. 2. Phthalide Isoquinoline Type: Hydrocotarnme, narcotoline, 1-narcotine, noscapine, oxynarcotine, narceine, and 5’-O-demethyl-narcotine. 3. Benzyl Isoquinoline Type: Papaverine, dl-laudanine, lau-danidine, codamine and laudanosine. 4. Cryptopine Type: Protopine, cryptopine. 5. Unknown Constituents: Aporeine, diodeadine, meconi-dine, papaveramine and lanthopine. Uses: diarrhoea dysentery and cough. Poppy capsules are astringent, somniferous, soporific, sedative and narcotic and used as anodyne and emollient. Codeine is mild sedative and is employed in cough mixtures. Noscapine is not narcotic and has cough suppressant action acting as a central antitussive drug. Papaverine has smooth muscle relaxant action and is used to cure muscle spasms. Opium, morphine and the diacetyl derivative heroin, cause drug addiction. Opium and morphine have narcotic, analgesic and seda-tive action and used to relieve pain,

9. Pyrethrum Flower Synonyms: Pyrethrum Flower Heads, or Insect Flowers, Dalmation Insect powder; Persion insect powder. Biological Source: Pyrethrum consists of the dried flower heads of Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium. Family: Asteraceae Geographical Source/ Distribution: Pyrethrum is indigenous to Balkan areas of Dalmatia, Her-zegovina and Montenegrow. Nowadays it is principally cultivated and produced in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ecuador and Belgium Congo. On similar scales, it is grown in Japan, Brazil, Yugoslavia, Switzerland, Spain and India. Chemical Constituents: Pyrethrum flowers owe its insecticide properties to two groups of esters: the first group consists of pyrethrin I, jasmolin I and cinerin I, which have chrysenthemic acid (chrysanthemum monocarboxylic acid) as their acid com-ponent and the second group of esters that consists of pyrethrin II, jasmolin II and cinerin II, which have pyrethric acid (monomethyl ester of chrysanthemum dicarboxylic acid) as their acid component. The alcohol component of the pyrethrin present in the form of keto-alcohol pyre-throlone and that of cinerine as cinerolone. The flowers of pyrethrum also consist of a triterpene alcohol pyrethrol and sesquiterpene lactones, pyrethrocin. Other constituents includes pyretol, pyrethroloxic acid, chrysenthemine and chrysathemumic acid. Pyrethrum extract (BP) consists of about 25% of pyrethrins.

10. Uses: Pyrethrum flowers are mainly used for the preparation of pyrethrum extract which is the form of pyrethrin usually employed in the compounding of pyrethrum preparation. Pyrethrum brings about its pesticide activity by an instan-taneous knock down action on insects within few seconds. It has no appreciable effect on insects as a stomach poison but acts by contact, producing a characteristic effect on the nervous system that results in muscular excitation, convul-sion and paralysis. However, it is less persistent and less stable. The compounds like piperonyl butoxide, bucarpo-late, sesamin and DDT act synergistically and potentiate the insecticidal properties of pyrethrin. Pyrethrum is widely used in domestic and agricultural insecticidal sprays, dusting powders and aerosol preparations for controlling a variety of garden pests and fleas, lice and ticks on pets. A noninflammable preparation is used as a spray in aircraft to kill insect vectors and so prevent the transmission of insect borne diseases. Derris Synonyms:Derris roots, Tuba roots, Tauba. Biological Source: Derris root consists of the dried rhizomes and roots of Derris elliptica malaccensis and D. Family:Leguminoseae

11. Geographical Source/ Distribution: Derris is indigenous to Malaya. It is cultivated in Burma, Thailand, East Indies and tropical African countries. It is also produced in Singapore, Borneo and in Sumatra. Chemical Constituents: Derris roots contains about 3–10% of a flavone derivative rotenone. It is colourless to brownish crystalline compound or a white to brownish white odourless tasteless crystal-line powder. It is insoluble in water but soluble in alcohol, acetone and other organic solvents. Rotenone is incompat-ible in the alkalies and oxidizing agents. Derris in powder should be protected from light. The overall evaluation of drug depends both on rotenone content and on the amount of chloroform extractive that the root yields. Rotenone is rapidly degraded by sunlight, lasting a week or less. Uses: Derris is a widely used agricultural and horticultural insec-ticide and larvicide. It is a contact and stomach poison. Its action is more persistent but less rapid than pyrethrum. It is especially useful for application to vegetable near the time of harvest when certain other insecticides cannot be used because of potentially excessive residues. Derris and rotenoids are also useful in controlling insect parasites of animals such as cattle, grubs, lice, fleas and ticks on pets and live stocks. Rotenoids are generally harmless to mammals but are extremely toxic to fish and used to kill unwanted fish in a pond to restocking. Lonchocarpus Synonyms: Lonchocarpus roots, Cube roots, Timbo, Barbasco.

12. Biological Source: Lonchocarpus consists of the dried roots of Lonchocarpus utilis, L. urucu and other species of Lonchocarpus. Family: Leguminoseae Geographical Source/ Distribution: Lonchocarpus is indigenous to Peru and Brazil. It is also produced in British and Dutch Guiana. Chemical Constituents: Lonchocarpus roots contain about 3–10 % rotenone. Uses: Lonchocarpus roots owe its action to the presence of constituents similar to those of Derris and are used for the same-purpose. Red Squill Synonyms: Sea squill, sea onion, and maritime squill

13. Biological Source: Red squill and white squill are the two important varieties of Urginea maritima. Red squill either the whole bulb or dried scales and powder is distinguished from that of white variety on the basis of its reddish colour. Family: Liliaceae. Geographical Source/ Distribution: It is native to southern Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa. Chemical Constituents: ). It contains cardiac glycosides and glycosides scilliroside and scillirubroside Uses: Red Squill is used as a rodenticide to kill rodents. When taken by rodents, convulsions, respiratory failure and death occur. It contains cardic glycoside scillaren A and enzyme scillarenase composed of proscillaridin and glucose. Red squill was not considered acceptable to animals other than rodents but poisoning has been reported in catties, sheep, chicken and dogs. Neem Synonyms: Margosa, Azadirachta,s Nim, Nimba (Sans.): Limba (Marathi, Gujarati); Vepa (Telgu).

14. Biological Source: Neem consists of almost all parts of the plants which are used as drug. Some important morphological parts are the dried stem bark, root bark, leaves and fruits of Azadirachta indica also, known as Melia azadirachta. Family: Meliaceae. Geographical Source/ Distribution: Neem is native of the arid region of India and Pakistan. Neem is found abundantly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and Mauritius, countries of East and South Africa and in tropical Australia. Chemical Constituents: Neem seeds mostly contain the complex tetranorterpenoid lactones azadirachtin, Nimbin, nimbidin, salanin and nimbolin B out of which azadirachtin is the most active component responsible for the antifeedant activity of neem. Other antifeedent components identified are meliantrol a triter-penoid alcohol and salanin. Neem oil obtained from seeds also shows the presence of these constituents along with other compounds such as nimbolides, olichinolide B and azadiradione. The leaves also contain azadirachtin, melian-trol, salanin, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol and flavonoids such as nimatone, quercetin, myrecetin and kaempferol.The bark shows the presence of riimbin, nimbidim and nimbinin like antiviral agents and margolone and margolonone like antibacterial principles. Uses: Neem oil is stimulant antiseptic, alterative and used in rheumatism and skin diseases. Leaves as poultice are applied to boils. Neem oil is also used in the manufacture of oleic and stearic acids. Leaf juice is given in worms, jaundice and in skin diseases. Paste of the leaves is used externally in cases of small-pox. The tender leaves are used in intestinal helminthiasis. The paste of leaves is useful in ulceration of cow-pox. Fresh, mature leaves are used to prepare an effective medicine for leueoderma. The leaves are used as insect-repellent, anti-viral and antifungal. References 1. Pharmacognosy by Varro E. Tyler, Lynn R. Brady,James E. Robbers 2. Text Book of Pharmacognosy by Dr. Mohammed Ali 3. TEXTBOOK OF PHARMACOGNOSY AND PHYTOCHEMISTRY by Biren N. Shah & A.K.Seth