2015, Pages 151–174
Nature
has endowed medicinal and nonmedicinal values to plants. Humans use
plants for both purposes. Some plants have toxic substances that may
affect one or more organs or systems. Plant toxicology began in view of
significant poisoning of livestock. Often, the difference between a
therapeutic and a toxic level is slight, and patients can easily develop
an adverse reaction to a plant, plant material, or preparation from a
plant. In this chapter, the cardiotoxic effects of some of the plants
that are not used routinely in medical practice are described. In
addition, classification of cardiotoxins; mechanisms of action;
influencing factors for toxins; clinical problems; community,
administrative, and preventive aspects; and future directives are
explained.
Keywords
- plant toxin;
- herbal toxin;
- phytotoxin;
- botanical toxins;
- xenobiotics;
- cardenolides;
- influencing factors;
- challenges;
- identification;
- prevention;
- proposed action plan
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
