title: Biologically active substances from amphibians: preliminary studies on anurans from twenty-one genera of Thailand.
abstract: Amphibian skin has been the source of a wide variety of biologically active substances, but less than one-third of the known genera of amphibians have been probed for such active substances. Skins of 21 genera of anurans from Thailand have now been investigated for noxious secretions, toxic substances, and alkaloids. Four genera of bufonid toads (Bufo, Ansonia, Leptophryne, Pedostipes) were toxic due to the presence of bufadienolides or bufadienolide-like compounds. Two species of ranid frogs (Rana raniceps, Rana signata) were toxic, perhaps due to the presence of toxic peptide(s). Two species of rhacophorid frogs (Polypedates) were slightly noxious/toxic. One species of microhylid frog (Kaloula pulchra) was noxious. Trace amounts of pumiliotoxin alkaloids were detected in a ranid frog (Limnonectes kuhli). A further 18 species did not exhibit noxious or toxic properties to a significant extent.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, NIH, Bldg. 8, Rm. 1A17, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA. jdaly@nih.gov
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Daly
authors.forename: Naratitt
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Noimai
authors.forename: Boonsong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kongkathip
authors.forename: Ngampong
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kongkathip
authors.forename: Jason M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wilham
authors.forename: H Martin
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Garraffo
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Spande
authors.forename: Yuth
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nimit
authors.forename: Jarujin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nabhitabhata
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chan-Ard
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity; D000588:Amines / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura / Q000378:metabolism*; D002018:Bufanolides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry*; D013649:Taste; D013785:Thailand; D014118:Toxins, Biological / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000588:Amines; D002018:Bufanolides; D014118:Toxins, Biological