Monday 10 February 2020

December phytochemicals: more than 100 weeks of #PhytochemicalFriday!

Indigotin: the chemical responsible for the color indigo. Originally isolated from Indigofera tinctoria (bean family) and woad (Isatis tinctoria, mustard family), it is among the first dyes used for textile dyeing and was so valuable it was called blue gold #PhytochemicalFriday

Happy #PhytochemicalFriday! Rotenone - an isoflavone highly toxic to fish and insects - is found in some plants in the bean family, including jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus). Historically, such plants were crushed and put in ponds, compelling fish to the surface for easy capture.

Happy #PhytochemicalFriday! Phellandrenes (combined with the pinenes - last year's late Dec. post) are isomeric monoterpenes and major contributors to the smell of balsam tree resin, which may perfume many houses this time of year. Thank you @HarvLovesAcct for the inspiration!

Happy #PhytochemicalFriday from #PAGXXVIII #PAG2020! Today: Aconitine: deadly poison from Aconitum spp. (aka Monkshood / Wolf's-bane) that features in modern mysteries and literature from Ancient Rome (Ovid). The alkaloid binds sodium ion channels & interferes with neuron firing.

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