Toxic Natural Products

Catalog description

Natural products have great medicinal, spiritual, and cultural value; however, the natural defense systems of many plants, animals, and fungi have strong central and peripheral toxic effects that can cause great harm to those that threaten them. The misconception that “natural equals safe” has been responsible for countless instances of illness and death for centuries and continues to this day. In this course, we will examine the mechanisms that different organisms use to protect themselves from harm. We will discuss the ways in which organisms cause damage to various organ systems, highlight some key examples of organisms that contaminate products, and determine strategies for overcoming those toxicities.