Shodhana
Definition
The traditional ayurvedic purification process applied to aconite root and a few other toxic plant materials before therapeutic use. Boiling in cow's milk for several hours hydrolyses aconitine to less toxic aconine derivatives. Raw, unprocessed root remains highly lethal.
Related terms
- Arylnaphthalide Lignan
- A plant secondary metabolite class to which the cleistanthins (Cleistanthus collinus toxins) belong. The cleistanthins damage the distal renal tubule, producing a...
- Cardiac Glycoside
- A steroidal compound that inhibits the sodium-potassium ATPase pump in cardiac myocytes, raising intracellular calcium and producing bradyarrhythmia, AV block and hyperkalaemia....
- DNA Barcoding
- Species identification using a short, standardised region of the mitochondrial genome. For animals, the primary barcode marker is a 648-base-pair segment of...
- Ribosome-Inactivating Protein (RIP)
- A glycoprotein toxin that enzymatically depurinates 28S rRNA and shuts down protein synthesis. Abrin (Abrus precatorius) and ricin (Ricinus communis) are type...
- Tropane Alkaloid
- A class of bicyclic nitrogen-containing alkaloids (atropine, hyoscyamine, scopolamine) produced by Solanaceae such as Datura and Atropa belladonna. Acts as a competitive...
Explained in
- Plant Poisons of Medico-Legal Importance in IndiaThe traditional ayurvedic purification process applied to aconite root and a few other toxic plant materials before therapeutic use. Boiling in cow's milk for...