Page 155 - phytochemistry I - PharmD Clinical

Synthetic anthracene derivatives:

The numerous synthetic hydroxy-anthracene derivatives were all less
active than naturally occuring anthracene glycosides.

Danthrone

It is a reddish, synthetic anthraquinone derivative. It has been widely
used as a laxative, but is no longer used to treat constipation.

• Currently used as an antioxidant in synthetic lubricants, in
experimental antitumor agents, as a fungicide and for making dyes.

• This substance is a suspected human carcinogen based on evidence
of carcinogenicity in experimental animals.

Cardiac glycosides

Cardiac glycosides are a class of highly toxic organic compounds found
in a number of plants. These compounds increase the output force of the
heart and increase its rate of contractions.
Chemically they are formed of aglycone (structurally related to steroid
hormones) linked to one or more sugar molecules. The aglycones of
cardiac glycosides can be divided into two chemical groups, the
cardenolides and bufadienolides, where the cardenolides group being the
most implicated in cardioactivity.
Cardenolides: C23 (23 carbon atoms) are cardiac glycosides with an
aglycone having a five-membered lactone ring in the C17 position of the
steroid nucleus. Cardenolides are found in digitalis and strophanthus
cardiac glycosides.

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