Month: July 2020

History of Toxicology and Environmental Health – Toxicology in Antiquity, volume I, Philip Wexler – Mithridates VI Eupathor of Pontus

Mithridates VI Eupathor of Pontus, the first experimental toxicologist, and his creation, universal antidote to poisons and toxins, called Mithridatium, minuscule doses of deadly poisons with antidotes. The most dangerous and relentless enemy of the late Roman Republic in decades-long conflict known as the Mithridatic Wars.

After Pompey defeated him in Pontus, Mithridates VI fled to the lands north of the Black Sea in the winter of 66 BC in the hope that he could raise a new army and carry on the war through invading Italy by way of the Danube. His preparations proved to be too harsh on the local nobles and populace, and they rebelled against his rule. He reportedly attempted suicide by poison. This attempt failed because of his immunity to the poison. According to Appians’s Roman History, he then requested his Galic friend, Leonora, to kill him by the sword.

Plants Used in Mithridatium

Scientific Name

Plant Family

Common Name

Part Useda

Bioactive Ingredient

Chemical Category

Mechanismb

Acacia arabica Willd.

Fabaceae

Acacia

Gum from branches (18)

Fisetinc

flavonoid

inhibits cytokine expression (19)

Acorus calamus L.

Acoraceae

Sweet flag

Root

Acorus calamus L.

Acoraceae

Sweet flag

Root (20)

Asarone

phenylpropanoid

antioxidant in vivo (21)

Athamanta cretensis L.

Apiaceae

Cretan carrot

Seed (18)

Imperatorind

furanocoumarin

inhibits NFAT binding to DNA (22)

Boswellia carterii Birdw.

Burseraceae

Frankin cense

Gum resin (23)

Acetyl 11-keto-beta- boswellic acid

triterpene

inhibits leukotriene synthesis (24)

Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik

Brassicaceae

Shepherd’s purse

Herb (25)

Fumaric acid

dicarboxylic acid

protects against toxic chemicals in vitro (25)

Centaurium erythraea Raf.

Gentianaceae

Lesser centaury

Herb (26)

Swertiamarin

monoterpene

antioxidant (26)

Cinnamomum cassia Bl.

Lauraceae

Cassia

Bark, leaf (27)

2-Hydroxy cinnamaldehyde

phenolic

inhibits NF-κB activation (27)

Cinnamomum zelanicum Bl.

Lauraceae

Cinnamon

Bark (28)

Coniferyl aldehydee, eugenol

phenylpropanoids

antioxidants (28, 29)

Commiphora myrrha (Nees) Engl.

Burseraceae

Myrrh

Gum resin (20)

Furanodiene

sesquiterpene

inhibits lipopolysaccharide–induced NO production (30)

Commiphora opobalsmum (L.) Engl.

Burseraceae

Balm of Gilead

Gum resin (31)

Extract

–

protects against gastric ulcers (31)

Crocus sativus L.

Iridaceae

Saffron

Herb and flower (32)

Crocin

crocetin digentobiose ester

ester and plant extract are antioxidants (33)

Cyperus rotundus L.

Cyperaceae

Sweet rush

Rhizome (34)

Isocurcumenol

sesquiterpene

inhibits NO production (30)

Cytinus hypocistis L.

Rafflesiaceae

Hypocistis

Juice of herb (35)

Gallic acidf

phenolic acid

antioxidant (36)

Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton

Zingiberaceae

Cardamom

Seed capsule (36)

Extract

–

Extract inhibits platelet aggregation and lipid peroxidation (37)

Ferula assafoetida L.

Apiaceae

Assafoetida

Gum (38)

Ferulic acidg

phenolic acid

antioxidant (39)

Ferula gummosa Boiss.

Apiaceae

Galbanum

Gum (40)

Alpha and beta-pinene

monoterpenes

may act in dyspepsia (40)

Ferula persica Willd.

Apiaceae

Sagapenum

Gum (41)

Extract

Hypericum perforatum L.

Hyperiaceae

St John’s wort

Herb (42)

Hyperforin

phloroglucinol

multiple effects on gene expression (42)

Liquidambar orientalis Mill.

Hamamelidaceae

Storax

Bark resin (18)

Casuarinin

ellagitannin

antioxidant (43)

Nardostachys jatamansi (G.Don) DC.

Valerianaceae

Indian nard

Herb (44)

Extract

–

Extract protects against lipid peroxidation (44)

Opopanax chironium Koch.

Apiaceae

Opopanax

Gum resin (45)

Imperatorin

furanocoumarin

antiplatelet aggregation activity (46)

Papaver rhoeas L.

Papaveraceae

Wild poppy

Juice from herb (47)

Extract

–

Antioxidant properties (48)

Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nym.

Apiaceae

Parsley

Leaf, seed (11)

Apigenin and fisetin

flavonoids

inhibit production of IL-4 and IL-13 (49)

Pimpinella anisum L.

Apiaceae

Anise

Seed (11)

Anethole

furanocoumarin

anti-inflammatory activity (50)

Piper longum L.

Piperaceae

Long pepper

Fruit, seed (51)

Extract

–

Fruit extract reduces lipid peroxidation (51)

Pistachia terebinthus L.

Anacardiaceae

Terebinith

Resin (52)

Masticadi– enonic acid

triterpene

inhibits leukotriene B4 production (53)

Rosa gallica L.

Rosaceae

Gallic rose

Leaves, flowers (13)

Gallic acid

phenolic acid

antioxidant (54)

Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch

Asteraceae

Costus

Root (55)

Costunolide

sesquiterpene lactone

blocks NO and NF-κB activation (56)

Seseli libanotis

Apiaceae

Hartwort

Root (57)

Pteryxin

coumarin

shows strong antiplatelet aggregation activity (46)

Valeriana celtica L.

Valerianaceae

Celtic nard

Root (58)

Valerenic acid

sesquiterpene

soporific activity (59)

Zingiber officinale Rosc.

Zingiberaceae

Ginger

Rhizome (60)

6-Gingerol

phenyl propane ketone

suppresses NF–κB binding (16)

Magnencij Rabani Mauri De Laudibus sancte Crucis opus

Beautiful visual poem by Hrabanus Maurus or Rabanus Maurus. Ninth century monk of Fulda was regarded for his generosity toward the poor, feeding over 300 people a day during the famines of 850 AD. As a testament to Maurus’ lasting influence, Gustav Mahler interpreted one of Maurus’ poems in his moving 8th Symphony. However, Maurus, most notable achievement was De laudibus sanctae crucis, a collection of twenty-eight encrypted religious poems, rendered before 814 AD. He was said to be the inventor of a cyphering system of 36 lines containing 36 letters evenly spaced on a grid. In this grid, Maurus included figurative images, putting the poems in visual terms. The poem filling the cypher grid was enriched by these smaller images, as most of the letters contained within them created tiny individual poems. Given that a large part of the population at the time was not only poor, but illiterate, Maurus’ visual poems bridged the gap between a priviledged reading community and the common person. Maurus used simple symbols : rings to signify cycles, letters for days and squares to represent books. By doing so he made religious concepts easily accessible to the masses. They were not overly simple, but were made richer by the mix of the complex cyphering, or coding, used to both create and read the poems, as well as the viewer’s simple delight of instantly understanding sacred symbols. Odilo fo Cluny said in the eleventh century of Maurus’ poems that “no work more precious to see, more pleasing to read, sweeter to remember, or more laborious to write can or could ever be found.