Bufotoxins are a family of toxic

steroid A steroid is a biologically active organic compound with four rings arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter membrane fluidity; and a ...

lactones Lactones are cyclic carboxylic esters, containing a 1-oxacycloalkan-2-one structure (), or analogues having unsaturation or heteroatoms replacing one or more carbon atoms of the ring. Lactones are formed by intramolecular esterification of the co ...

or substituted

tryptamines Substituted tryptamines, or serotonin analogues, are organic compounds which may be thought of as being derived from tryptamine itself. The molecular structures of all tryptamines contain an indole ring, joined to an amino (NH2) group via an ethy ...

of which some may or may not be toxic. They occur in the

parotoid gland The parotoid gland (alternatively, paratoid gland) is an external skin gland on the back, neck, and shoulder of toads and some frogs and salamanders. It can secrete a number of milky alkaloid substances (depending on the species) known collective ...

s, skin, and poison of many

toad Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scientif ...

s (

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

Bufo ''Bufo'' is a genus of true toads in the amphibian family Bufonidae. As traditionally defined, it was a wastebasket genus containing a large number of toads from much of the world, but following taxonomic reviews most of these have been moved to ...

'') and other amphibians, and in some plants and mushrooms. The exact composition varies greatly with the specific source of the toxin. It can contain

5-MeO-DMT 5-MeO-DMT (5-methoxy-''N'',''N''-dimethyltryptamine) or O-methyl-bufotenin is a psychedelic of the tryptamine class. It is found in a wide variety of plant species, and also is secreted by the glands of at least one toad species, the Colorado Ri ...

bufagin Bufagin is a toxic steroid C24H34O5 obtained from toad's milk, the poisonous secretion of a skin gland on the back of the neck of a large toad (''Rhinella marina'', synonym ''Bufo marinus'', the cane toad). The toad produces this secretion when it ...

bufalin Bufalin is a cardiotonic steroid toxin originally isolated from Chinese toad venom, which is a component of some traditional Chinese medicines. Research Bufalin has ''in vitro'' antitumor effects against various malignant cell lines, including h ...

bufotalin Bufotalin is a cardiotoxic bufanolide steroid, cardiac glycoside analogue, secreted by a number of toad species. Bufotalin can be extracted from the skin parotoid glands of several types of toad. Sources ''Rhinella marina'' (Cane toad), ''Rhaebo ...

bufotenin Bufotenin (5-HO-DMT, bufotenine) is a tryptamine derivative - more specifically, a DMT derivative - related to the neurotransmitter serotonin. It is an alkaloid found in some species of toads (especially the skin), mushrooms and plants. The na ...

bufothionine Bufothionine is a sulfur-containing compound which is present in the bufotoxins secreted by the parotoid gland of certain toads of the genera ''Bufo'' and '' Chaunus''. This specific compound can be found in the skin of certain species of toad suc ...

, dehydrobufotenine,

epinephrine Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, is a hormone and medication which is involved in regulating visceral functions (e.g., respiration). It appears as a white microcrystalline granule. Adrenaline is normally produced by the adrenal glands and ...

norepinephrine Norepinephrine (NE), also called noradrenaline (NA) or noradrenalin, is an organic chemical in the catecholamine family that functions in the brain and body as both a hormone and neurotransmitter. The name "noradrenaline" (from Latin '' ad'', ...

, and

serotonin Serotonin () or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Its biological function is complex and multifaceted, modulating mood, cognition, reward, learning, memory, and numerous physiological processes such as vomiting and vas ...

. Some authors have also used the term ''bufotoxin'' to describe the conjugate of a

with suberylarginine. The toxic substances found in toads can be divided by chemical structure in two groups: #

bufadienolide Bufadienolide is a chemical compound with steroid structure. Its derivatives are collectively known as bufadienolides, including many in the form of bufadienolide glycosides (bufadienolides that contain structural groups derived from sugars). These ...

s, which are

cardiac glycoside Cardiac glycosides are a class of organic compounds that increase the output force of the heart and decrease its rate of contractions by inhibiting the cellular sodium-potassium ATPase pump. Their beneficial medical uses are as treatments for co ...

s (e.g.,

, bufogenin) #

tryptamine Tryptamine is an indolamine metabolite of the essential amino acid, tryptophan. The chemical structure is defined by an indole ─ a fused benzene and pyrrole ring, and a 2-aminoethyl group at the second carbon (third aromatic atom, with the f ...

-related substances (e.g.,

) Toads known to secrete bufotoxin include the following: *'' Bufo alvarius'' *''

Bufo americanus The American toad (''Anaxyrus americanus'') is a common species of toad found throughout Canada and the eastern United States. It is divided into three subspecies: the eastern American toad (''A. a. americanus''), the dwarf American toad (''A. a ...

'' *''

Bufo arenarum ''Rhinella arenarum'' is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae that is found in southern Brazil and Uruguay; can also occur in Paraguay. It is also found in Argentina from the Chubut Province northward, Bolivia , image_flag ...

'' *''

Bufo asper The Asian giant toad (''Phrynoidis asper''), sometimes referred to as the river toad, is a species of true toad native to Mainland Southeast Asia and the Greater Sundas. It is a medium-large toad, but it is easily confused with its larger relativ ...

'' *''

Bufo blombergi Blomberg's toad (''Rhaebo blombergi''), also known as the Colombian giant toad, is a very large species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is found in rainforests at altitudes between in western Colombia ( Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Cauca, and ...

'' *''

Bufo boreas The western toad (''Anaxyrus boreas'') is a large toad species, between long, native to western North America. ''A. boreas'' is frequently encountered during the wet season on roads, or near water at other times. It can jump a considerable distan ...

'' *''

Bufo bufo The common toad, European toad, or in Anglophone parts of Europe, simply the toad (''Bufo bufo'', from Latin ''bufo'' "toad"), is a frog found throughout most of Europe (with the exception of Ireland, Iceland, and some Mediterranean islands), in ...

'' *'' Bufo bufo gargarizans'' *''

Sclerophrys gutturalis The African common toad or guttural toad (''Sclerophrys gutturalis'') is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Réunion ...

'' (syn. ''Bufo gutturalis'') *'' Bufo formosus'' *''

Bufo fowleri Fowler's toad (''Anaxyrus fowleri'') is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. The species is native to North America, where it occurs in much of the eastern United States and parts of adjacent Canada. It was previously considered a subspec ...

'' *''

Rhinella marina The cane toad (''Rhinella marina''), also known as the giant neotropical toad or marine toad, is a large, terrestrial true toad native to South and mainland Central America, but which has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania ...

'' (formerly ''Bufo marinus'') *'' Bufo melanostictus'' *'' Bufo peltocephalus'' *'' Bufo quercicus'' *''

Bufo regularis ''Sclerophrys regularis'', commonly known as the African common toad, square-marked toad, African toad, Egyptian toad, African bouncing toad (due to the bouncing motion) and Reuss's toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is found ...

'' *''

Bufo valliceps The Gulf Coast toad (''Incilius valliceps'') is a species of toad native to eastern and southeastern Mexico and Central America as far south as Costa Rica. Description The Gulf Coast toad is a medium-sized toad species, ranging from in le ...

'' *''

Bufo viridis The European green toad (''Bufotes viridis'') is a species of toad found in steppes, mountainous areas, semi-deserts, urban areas and other habitats in mainland Europe, ranging from far eastern France and Denmark to the Balkans and Western Russi ...

'' *'' Bufo vulgaris''

Extraction

Extract from the skin of certain Asian toads, such as ''Bufo bufo gargarizans'' and ''Bufo melanostictus'', is often found in certain Chinese folk remedies. The

Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China A pharmacopoeia, pharmacopeia, or pharmacopoea (from the obsolete typography ''pharmacopœia'', meaning "drug-making"), in its modern technical sense, is a book containing directions for the identification of compound medicines, and published by ...

(ChP) considers the two species valid sources of toad venom (; la, bufonis venenum), and requires the dry product to contain at least 6% of

cinobufagin Cinobufagin is a cardiotoxic bufanolide steroid secreted by the Asiatic toad ''Bufo gargarizans''. It has similar effects to digitalis and is used in traditional Chinese medicine. Isolation and purification Cinobufagin, as well as other bufadie ...

and resibufogenin combined by weight. The extract is obtained by squeezing the

s of caught, washed toads for a white venom and drying; the final dried venom is usually brown, with a chunk or flake form. entries
蟾酥 bufonis venenum
/ref>

Human poisoning

Toad‐venom poisoning is rare but can kill. It can occur when someone drinks toad soup, eats toad meat or toad eggs, or swallows live toads on a bet. It can also happen when someone deliberately takes commercial substances made with toad toxins. These go under names including "Kyushin", "Chan Su" (marketed as a painkiller, topical anesthetic or cardiac treatment), "Rockhard" and "Love Stone" (marketed as aphrodisiacs). "Chan Su" (literally "toad venom") is often adulterated with standard painkillers, such as

paracetamol Paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, is a medication used to treat fever and mild to moderate pain. Common brand names include Tylenol and Panadol. At a standard dose, paracetamol only slightly decreases body temperature; it is inferior ...

promethazine Promethazine is a first-generation antihistamine, antipsychotic, sedative, and antiemetic used to treat allergies, insomnia, and nausea. It may also help with some symptoms associated with the common cold and may also be used for sedating people ...

and

diclofenac Diclofenac, sold under the brand name Voltaren, among others, is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat pain and inflammatory diseases such as gout. It is taken by mouth or rectally in a suppository, used by injection, or ...

. It may be ingested or injected.

References

External links

Anaxyrus boreas boreas - Boreal Toad
californiaherps.com
Toad Toxins
erowid.com {{Toxins Vertebrate toxins