What is rotenone?
By Chelsie Vandaveer
June 6, 2003
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Suggested Reading – Plus Tomatoes Alive!® Plus & Liquid Rotenone/Pyrethrin: Click here.
Ichthyotoxins are chemicals which are particularly poisonous to fish. The toxins occur naturally in numerous species of plants. Adding chopped or macerated plant materials to bodies of water to ease catching fish was a widespread practice. Anthropologists have recorded the use of ichthyotoxic [ik' thee o tox ic] plants from areas as diverse as Africa, India, Southeast Asia, the Oceanic and Pacific Islands, and the Americas.
The Fabaceae or bean family has the most species which produce ichthyotoxins. In the Old World tropics, the legumes frequently used were in the genera Derris and Tephrosia; in the New World tropics, Lonchocarpus, Tephrosia, and Paraderris. These legumes produce large quantities of an isoflavenoid which was not only toxic to fish but also insects and acarids (ticks and mites). (Medical Botany: Plants affecting Man's Health, Lewis and Elvin-Lewis, Wiley, 1977)
Although highly toxic to cold-blooded animals, the isoflavenoid can kill warm-blooded animals, including humans, especially when inhaled. It interferes with the electron transport in mitochondria essentially shutting down the powerhouses of the cells. Chronic exposure causes liver and kidney damage and it has been implicated as one possible cause of Parkinson's disease.
On the plus side, the isoflavenoid does not remain long in the environment. It decomposes within days of exposure to sunlight and air. Its use has helped stop epidemics spread by lice and fleas.
Chemically, the toxic isoflavenoid is known as [2R-(2α,6aα,12aα)]-1,2,12,12α-Tetra-hydro-8,9 dimethoxy-2-(1-methylethenyl)-[1]benzopyrano-[3,4-b]furo[2,3-h][1]benzopyran-6(6aH)-one. (Merck Index, 11th edition, 1989) For obvious reasons, the chemical is commonly called rotenone, a name created from roten, the Japanese name for Derris trifoliata used as a fish poison.
The Extension Toxicology Network posts information about the safe usage and handling of pesticides and other toxic materials. To learn more about the proper handling of rotenone, click on the link:
http://ace.ace.orst.edu/info/extoxnet/pips/rotenone.htm
A Guide to the Mangroves of Singapore has posted photographs of the flowers and leaves of Derris trifoliata. To view the photographs, click on the link:
http://mangrove.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/text/1057.htm
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Suggested Reading:
What is rotenone? What's in a Name? - June 6, 2003
What is a jicama? Weird Plants - June 5, 2003
Adenium obesum (Forsskal) Roemer & Schultes Plant of the Week 08/26/2002
How does a fish poison save lives? Plants that Changed History - May 28, 2002
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