Daigremontianin Explained

Daigremontianin is a bufadienolide. Bufadienolides are steroids and cardiac glycoside aglycones (meaning that they bind with carbohydrates to form cardiac glycosides) that are similar to cardenolides, differing only in the structure of the C-17 substituent on the D ring. This chemical has been found to be toxic in experiments on mice.^{[1] [2]} It is one of five bufadienolides that have been isolated from Kalanchoe daigremontiana.

Toxicity

Crassulaceans are one of the prime sources of bufadienolide cardiac glycosides (including daigremontianin) responsible for an estimated 33% of cattle mortalities related to plant poisoning in South Africa. Crassulacean bufadienolides cause cardiac poisoning, but repeated small doses cause a condition called cotyledonosis,^[3] an intoxication affecting nervous and muscular systems of small animals, particularly, sheep in the Karoo area of South Africa.

External links

• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility

Notes and References

1. Wagner, H. . Fischer, M. . Lotter, H. . Neue Bufadienolide von Kalanchoe daigremontiana Hamet et Perr. (Crassulaceae). New Bufadienolides from Kalanchoe daigremontiana Hamet et Perr. (Crassulaceae) . German . Zeitschrift für Naturforschung B . 1985 . 40 . 9 . 1226–1227 . 10.1515/znb-1985-0920 . 95146056 . free .
2. Wagner, H. . Lotter, H. . Fischer, M. . Die toxischen und sedierend wirkenden Bufadienolide von Kalanchoe daigremontiana Hamet et Perr. . The Toxic and Sedative Bufadienolides of Kalanchoe daigremontiana Hamet et Perr. . German . Helvetica Chimica Acta . 1986 . 69 . 2 . 359–367 . 10.1002/hlca.19860690215 .
3. Botha. Christo. 2016-03-16. Potential Health Risks Posed by Plant-Derived Cumulative Neurotoxic Bufadienolides in South Africa. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 21. 3. 348. 10.3390/molecules21030348. 1420-3049. 6273117. 27102163. free.