Bufotoxin

The toxic substances found in toads can be divided by chemical structure in two groups: Extract from the skin of certain Asian toads, such as Bufo gargarizans, is often found in certain Chinese folk remedies.
 * Bufotoxins** are a family of toxic substances found in the parotoid glands, skin and venom of many toads (genus Bufo); other amphibians; and some plants and mushrooms. [|[1]] The exact composition varies greatly with the specific source of the toxin. It can contain: [|5-MeO-DMT], bufangins, bufotalin, bufotenine, bufothionine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and seotonin. The term bufotoxin can also be used specifically to describe the conjugate of a bufagin with suberylargine. [|[2]]
 * bufadienolids which are steroidal glycosides (e.g. bufotaline, bufogenine)
 * tryptamine related substances (e.g. bufotenine)

Toads known to secrete bufotoxin are:
 * // [|Bufo alvarius] //
 * // [|Bufo americanus] //
 * // [|Bufo arenarum] //
 * // [|Bufo asper] //
 * // [|Bufo blombergi] //
 * // [|Bufo bufo] //
 * // [|Bufo bufo gargarizans] //
 * // [|Bufo formosus] //
 * // [|Bufo fowleri] //
 * // [|Bufo marinus] //
 * // [|Bufo melanostictus] //
 * // [|Bufo peltocephalus] //
 * // [|Bufo quercicus] //
 * // [|Bufo regularis] //
 * // [|Bufo valliceps] //
 * // [|Bufo viridis] //
 * // [|Bufo vulgaris] //

Forty kinds of bufotoxins and related compounds were tested for inhibition of Na+, K+ -adenosine triphosphatase from guinea pig heart, and the structure-activity relationship has been discussed. The inhibitory activities of bufotoxins were dependent upon the dicarboxylic acid and amino acid components. The compounds having both the arginine and suberic acid moieties showed the higher inhibitory activities. The sulfates and glucuronides of cardiac steroids exhibited much less potency than the parent genins. The mode of inhibition was determined by means of the Dixon and Lineweaver-Burk plots.    Amongst junkies it is well known that some species of common toads from the genus Bufo produce hallucinogen chemicals called bufotoxins. If you ever looked at a toad, you probably saw two conspicuous bumps located close to their ears. These are the parotoid glands, producing the bufotoxins. If you push them, a foamy whitish stuff will be secreted:it's the toad's venomOf course, the bufotoxins are toxic (as their name suggests) and a dog swallowing a toad can be killed by these chemicals. The bufotoxins explain the ecological disaster produced by the cane toad (Bufo marinus) in Australia. Most local predators are killed by this deadly cocktail; > || one exception is a non-venomous snake. Bufotoxins are also encountered in some mushrooms, explaining their toxicity. The precise composition of the bufotoxins varies greatly depending on the source species. Bufotoxins are usually a mix of 5-MeO-DMT, bufagins, bufotalin, bufotenine, bufothionine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.Chinese traditional medicine uses the bufotoxin extract from the skin of some Asian toads as a variant of the common toad (Bufo bufo gargarizans). In fact, bufotoxins are also employed in homeopathy. > || To use bufotoxins as drugs, junkies had to find another method than licking the living amphibians. The toad is "smoked", like hashish or __marijuana__. The toads' venomous secretions are smoked dry, in order to eliminate toxic chemicals from the venom through the heat.Using toads to produce drugs is illegal, just like the use of __cocaine__ or heroine. In US, bufotoxins are on the list of dangerous and forbidden drugs. American police even caught toad traffickers...In Europe toad species producing bufotoxins are the common toad (Bufo bufo) and green toad (Bufo viridis). North __American__ species producing bufotoxins are the American toad (Bufo americanus), Fowler's toad (Bufo fowleri), common toad (Bufo vulgaris), Gulf Coast toad (Bufo valliceps), oak toad (Bufo quercicus) and Colorado River toad (Bufo alvarius). Other toads producing bufotoxins are Bufo arenarum, B blombergi and B marinus of South America, Bufo asper, Bufo formosus, and Bufo melanostictus of Asia, Bufo peltocephalus of Cuba and Bufo regularis of Africa.
 * [[image:http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/newsrsz/How-to-Drug-With-Toad-Venom-3.jpg width="90" caption="Clearly visible parotid glands in young cane toad" link="@http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/How-to-Drug-With-Toad-Venom-3.jpg/"]]
 * [[image:http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/newsrsz/How-to-Drug-With-Toad-Venom-4.jpg width="90" caption="Bufotoxins ready to be smoked" link="@http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/How-to-Drug-With-Toad-Venom-4.jpg/"]]


 * bufotoxin ****,** a moderately potent poison secreted in the skin of many anuran amphibians, especially the typical [|toads] (genus //Bufo//). The milky fluid contains several identifiable components: bufagin, with effects on the heart similar to those of digitalis; [|bufotenine], a hallucinogen; and [|serotonin], a vasoconstrictor. The composition of the poison varies with the species of toad. Taken internally, the poison causes severe, even fatal reaction in many predators, but some animals (//e.g.,// hognosed snakes) are not affected. The poison does not normally affect [|human skin], but it does irritate the eyes and mucous membranes.