Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Bufotoxin
Bufotoxins are a family of toxic substances found in the parotoid glands, skin and venom of many toads (genus Bufo); other amphibians; and other plants and mushrooms (Siperstein et al, 1957; Lincoff & Mitchel, 1977; Kibmer & Wichtl, 1986). The exact composition varies greatly with the specific source of the toxin. It can contain: 5-MeO-DMT, bufagins, bufotalin, bufotenine, bufothionine , epinephrine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. The term bufotoxin can also be used specifically to describe the conjugate of a bufagin with suberylargine (Chen & Kovarikova, 1967).
Extract from the skin of certain Asian toads, such as Bufo gargarizans, is often found in certain Chinese folk remedies.
Toads known to secrete bufotoxin are:
- Bufo alvarius
- Bufo americanus
- Bufo arenarum
- Bufo asper
- Bufo blombergi
- Bufo bufo
- Bufo bufo gargarizans
- Bufo formosus
- Bufo fowerii
- Bufo marinus
- Bufo melanostictus
- Bufo peltocephalus
- Bufo quercicus
- Bufo regularis
- Bufo valliceps
- Bufo viridis
- Bufo vulgaris
External links
10-26-2009 08:16:03
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The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details