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Lecture 17 - Natural Toxins in Plants and Fungi: The Ecological Biochemistry of Food

Learning Objectives

  1. Understand the relationship between ecology and the human food chain.
  2. Define ecological biochemistry.
  3. Explain biochemical adaptation and the roles of secondary compounds in plants.
  4. Examine the impacts of plant toxicants in the human food chain.
  5. Survey examples of plant toxicants.
  6. Review a range of toxic plant-based supplements.
  7. Review a range of poisonous mushrooms. 

LECTURE MATERIALS

Slides

Print Slides (PDF)

Lecture Outlines (PDF)

LECTURE ACTIVITIES

Homework

Discussion

FoodTox Lecture17 from Professor Greg Möller on Vimeo.

Listen online or Download audio LecturesDownload audio Lectures

Advance Reading

  1. Shibamoto & Bjeldanes, p 123; pp 143-154; pp 176-180
  2. Plant Toxins
  3. Poisonous Plants Home Page: Toxic Agents in Plants (Surf and review)
  4. Snake Venom
  5. Spiders: Toxic Species and Clinical Treatment

Suggested Reading

  1. A Brief History of Poisoning, BBC

Resources

Keywords

  • Ecological biochemistry
  • Food ecology
  • Acclimatization
  • Biochemical adaptation
  • Ecological biochemical
    interaction
  • Secondary plant compounds
  • Terpenoids
  • Alkaloids
  • Phenolics
  • Allelopathy
  • Protoplasmic poisons
  • Disulfiram-like toxins


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