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Lycorine Synthesis
Lycorine is a toxic crystalline alkaloid found in various Amaryllidaceae species, such as the cultivated bush lily (''Clivia miniata''), surprise lilies ('' Lycoris''), and daffodils ('' Narcissus''). It may be highly poisonous, or even lethal, when ingested in certain quantities. Regardless, it is sometimes used medicinally, a reason why some groups may harvest the very popular ''Clivia miniata''. Source Lycorine is found in different species of ''Amaryllidaceae'' which include flowers and bulbs of daffodil, snowdrop (''Galanthus'') or spider lily (''Lycoris''). Lycorine is the most frequent alkaloid of ''Amaryllidaceae''. The earliest diversification of ''Amaryllidaceae'' was most likely in North Africa and the Iberian peninsula and that lycorine is one of the oldest in the Amaryllidaceae alkaloid biosynthetic pathway. Mechanism of action There is currently very little known about the mechanism of lycorine. There are tentative ideas about how lycorine metabolizes due to a stud ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Toxic
Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a substructure of the organism, such as a cell ( cytotoxicity) or an organ such as the liver (hepatotoxicity). By extension, the word may be metaphorically used to describe toxic effects on larger and more complex groups, such as the family unit or society at large. Sometimes the word is more or less synonymous with poisoning in everyday usage. A central concept of toxicology is that the effects of a toxicant are dose-dependent; even water can lead to water intoxication when taken in too high a dose, whereas for even a very toxic substance such as snake venom there is a dose below which there is no detectable toxic effect. Toxicity is species-specific, making cross-species analysis problematic. Newer paradigms and metrics are evolving to bypass ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
