1 Harmaline, together with certain hallucinogenic alkaloids of the same group (harmine, 2 methyl harmin) stimulates sodium transport across the in vitro skin of Rana esculenta when it is added to the external medium at a low concentration (0.1 mM). This effect is due to an increase of the sodium influx, and is reversed by washing. It is suggested that harmaline intervenes at the sodium penetrat...

Many plants contain toxic alkaloids which may be dangerous to humans. Despite the large number of poisonous plants, cases of fatal plant poisonings are relatively rare. The frequencies of poisonings and the plants involved are often regionally specific. Plant poisonings can be aggregated into three categories: unintended ingestions, intended ingestions, and poisoning due to abuse of plant mater...

The potential induction of a programmed cell death (PCD) in Trypanosoma b. brucei by 55 alkaloids of the quinoline, quinolizidine, isoquinoline, indole, terpene, tropane, steroid, and piperidine type was studied by measuring DNA fragmentation and changes in mitochondrial membrane potential. For comparison, the induction of apoptosis by the same alkaloids in human leukemia cells (Jurkat APO-S) w...