Category: PMMOP (Page 2 of 2)

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Lophophora williamsii is also called a peyote. It is a small, spineless cactus found in southern Texas and northern Mexico. It contains mescaline and hordenine. Peyote has small disc-shaped buttons that grow on top of the roots. People harvest these buttons and roll them into balls to keep in capsules, grind as powder or serve in hot tea. Ingesting the drug would cause hallucinogenic effect like alteration of perception, muscle tension, nausea, and vomiting. Because of this, sale and production of peyote for recreational use is illegal. Mescaline, as mentioned earlier, is the main psychoactive compound found in peyote. This is a naturally occurring alkaloid that can activate serotonin receptor and stimulate dopamine receptors. Other than the hallucination effects, peyote has been used to treat fever, joint pain, paralysis, fractures, wounds and snakebites.

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Atropa Belladonna is also known as belladonna, devil’s berries, beautiful death and deadly nightshade. Its place of origin is Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. The molecules responsible for nightshade’s medicinal effect are three alkaloids: atropine, hyocyamine and scopolamine.

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Cinchona officinalis is commonly referred to as Peruvian Bark Tree and is one of several plants of the Cinchona genus that contain the alkaline compound quinine. An alkaloid is a chemical compound that occurs naturally in plants, predicted to be a waste product of its metabolic pathways. Cinchona officinalis is a native tree found in the equatorial Andes region. Quinine is an effective cure for malaria. Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite, transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes. The microorganism that causes malaria is called a protist. Because of its curative effects, it is now found throughout the tropics and large plantations in Africa and is cultivated commercially.

The first time that the tree was introduced to Europe was in 1640. According to the New York Botanical Garden website, “Carl Linnæus denominated the tree Cinchona after Ana de Osorio, the wife of the fourth Count of Chinchón, Luis Fernández, the Spanish Viceroy of Peru.” The countess was cured from a terrible fever with this plant. She then brought it back to Europe to spread its use among her people. This is just one of the many stories about the origin of the name. Another count is that the plant was originally called quinquina, meaning bark of bark in the Quechua language. The indigenous name is not completely lost, as we still refer to the curative property (antimalarial agent) as quinine.

The part of the tree that is used for medicinal properties is the bark. It is stripped, dried, and ground into a powder. The same tree is re-harvested several times for its bark before it is eventually cut down. The quinine was isolated in 1820s, and because of this synthetic quinine began to be produced in the 1940s. However, some strains of malaria have become resistant to this synthetic substance, so the organic compound is more effective against the protist.

According to WebMD, “Some of the chemicals in cinchona can slow the heart, cause constipation, and affect the central nervous system. ” The regular dosage for adult malaria is 648 mg pill taken orally every 8 hours for 7 days. Because this is such a strong compound, “U.S. drug regulations require products containing cinchona to include labeling that states, “Discontinue use if ringing in the ears, deafness, skin rash or visual disturbances occur.””

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Saccharopolyspora Erythraea, formerly known as Streptomyces erythraeus, is a form of actinobacteria. It originates from the soil and produces antibiotics. However, before being used in the medical market, Saccharopolyspora Erythraea must undergo genetic improvement. This actinobacteria is used for the production of the antibiotic erythromycin. Erythromycin helps fight and prevent bacterial infections . It works by stopping the growth of bacteria that is causing the infection.

Catharanthus roseus is a plant used mostly for medicinal use and sometimes ornamental use. Vincristine and vinblastine, both which treat cancer, are found in this plant. It is commonly known as periwinkle, Madagascar periwinkle or annual vinca. It is originally from Madagascar but it is now grown in other places as well.

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The common name for the Ecteinascidia Turbinata is the mangrove tunicate, a type of sea squirt species. They are primarily located throughout the Indian River Lagoon. This plant has an inflammatory molecule in its tissues that have proven to kill tumor cells and stop tumor growth. The same tissues have also suppressed allograft, tissue graft donated into the body of the same species, rejection. In animals, the tissues can activate the phagocytic system of shrimp, blue crabs, and fish. The sea squirt from the plant is also used to treat, and perhaps, cure certain types of cancer. The specific drug is called trabectedin.