title: Plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids used in the traditional Indian medicine--including ayurveda.
abstract: Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) show a hazardous potential for humans and animals. They can possess mutagenic, teratogenic, cancerogenic and fetotoxic properties. One pathway of a human intoxication can be the use of medicinal plants which contain toxic PAs. The Traditional Indian medicine--in particular Ayurveda--is a popular and well-known healing system. Within this system several PA-containing plants are used which, on account of their PA level, represent a severe health risk. In general, it is not recommended to use plants containing those toxic compounds.
authors.affiliation: Pharmazeutisches Institut der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Bonn, Germany. roeder@uni-bonn.de
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roeder
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wiedenfeld
mesh_terms: D019448:Ethnobotany; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D011763:Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D011763:Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids