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Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA, or phytohemagglutinin) is a lectin found in plants, especially certain legumes. PHA actually consists of two closely related proteins, called leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) and PHA-E. These proteins cause blood cells to clump together. PHA-E cause erythrocytes (red blood cells) to clump.
One example of the powerful biological attributes of lectins is the biochemical warfare agent ricin. The protein ricin is isolated from seeds of the castor oil plant and comprises two protein domains. Abrin from the jequirity pea is similar: One domain is a lectin that binds cell surface galactosyl residues and enables the protein to enter cells.
Herbicides are designed and used to control unwanted plants such as agricultural weeds. However, the use of herbicides can cause phytotoxic effects on non-targeted plants through wind-blown spray drift or from the use of herbicide-contaminated material (such as straw or manure) being applied to the soil. [5]
The term is also used to describe toxic chemicals produced by plants themselves, which function as defensive agents against their predators. Most examples pertaining to this definition of phytotoxin are members of various classes of specialised or secondary metabolites , including alkaloids , terpenes , and especially phenolics , though not all ...
The cancer treatment drug topotecan is a synthetic chemical compound similar in chemical structure to camptothecin which is found in extracts of Camptotheca (happy tree). [7] Catharanthus roseus. Vinca alkaloids were originally manufactured by extracting them from Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar Periwinkle). [1] Podophyllum spp.
Only a minority of RIPs are toxic to humans when consumed, and proteins of this family are found in the vast majority of plants used for human consumption, such as Rice, Maize, and Barley. In plants, they are thought to defend against pathogens and insects. [10] Structural Similarities among RIPs. Original figure can be found in [11]
Ergotism (pron. / ˈ ɜːr ɡ ə t ˌ ɪ z ə m / UR-gət-iz-əm) is the effect of long-term ergot poisoning, traditionally due to the ingestion of the alkaloids produced by the Claviceps purpurea fungus—from the Latin clava "club" or clavus "nail" and -ceps for "head", i.e. the purple club-headed fungus—that infects rye and other cereals, and more recently by the action of a number of ...
Lindane, also known as gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH), gammaxene, Gammallin and benzene hexachloride (BHC), [3] is an organochlorine chemical and an isomer of hexachlorocyclohexane that has been used both as an agricultural insecticide and as a pharmaceutical treatment for lice and scabies.