cardenolide
Quick Summary
Cardenolides are a group of organic compounds found in plants, such as milkweeds. These compounds possess a characteristic ring structure and can have a significant effect on the vertebrate heart, similar to the action of digitalis. They are often found in plants as glycosides, meaning they are linked to sugar residues.12
While the aglycone (the steroid part without the sugars) is less active, the glycosides themselves can be toxic and cause vomiting. Notable examples of cardiac glycosides include digitoxin, gitoxin, and digoxin, which are derived from the foxglove plant. These compounds have medicinal uses, particularly in treating heart conditions.21
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caterpillarCaterpillar defenses…plants produce compounds known as cardenolides, which are normally toxic to animals. Monarch larvae, however, are unaffected by the poison, and they are able to sequester the compound in their tissues. Because the poison stays with the insects as they mature through subsequent stages of development, they are toxic to…
Read More…plants produce compounds known as cardenolides, which are normally toxic to animals. Monarch larvae, however, are unaffected by the poison, and they are able to sequester the compound in their tissues. Because the poison stays with the insects as they mature through subsequent stages of development, they are toxic to…
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GentianalesApocynaceaeAlthough cardenolides in the latex of the milkweeds are highly poisonous, the monarch caterpillar is able to eat the plant and concentrate the poison in the wings and abdomen of the adult, where it does not interfere with metabolism. In fact, the cardenolides give the caterpillar…
Read MoreAlthough cardenolides in the latex of the milkweeds are highly poisonous, the monarch caterpillar is able to eat the plant and concentrate the poison in the wings and abdomen of the adult, where it does not interfere with metabolism. In fact, the cardenolides give the caterpillar…
Read More
