1. Science & Plants for Schools (www.saps.org.uk)
Caffeine
Plant: Tea (Camellia sinensis) and others
Did you know?
Plants like tea and coffee produce caffeine as an insecticide to poison bugs which try to feed on the leaves.
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: central nervous system stimulant
Molecular formula:
C8H10N4O2
194.2 62
1.25
Credit: nchenga
Morphine
Plant: Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum)
Did you know?
Laudanum, a potent painkilling medicine made from opium poppies, is documented as far back as 1522
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: analgesic
Molecular formula:
C17H19NO3
285.3
135
14.77
Credit: ykanazawa
Taxol
Plant: Pacific yew tree (Taxus brevifolia)
Did you know?
Taxol is also made by a fungus which lives in the tree bark. It is produced commercially in mixed plant/fungal cell cultures.
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: chemotherapy (breast cancer)
Molecular formula:
C47H51NO14
853.9 12
75.03
Credit:: pellaea
Nicotine
Plant: Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)
Did you know?
Nicotine is more toxic than cocaine or heroin and smoking 40 cigarettes could be deadly (not to mention silly!) for a non-smoker
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: stimulant, insecticide
Molecular formula:
C8H14N2
162.2
0.3
0.73
Credit: moche
Science & Plants for Schools (
This resource was created by Dr Sarah McLusky, lecturer in biochemistry at Newcastle College (details correct as of 2012)

2. Aspirin Codeine Quinine Digoxin 2 Plant: Willow tree (Salix alba)
Did you know?
Hippocrates, who lived around 400BC, recorded using a powder made from willow bark to treat pain and fever.
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: analgaesic, blood thinner
Molecular formula:
C7H6O3
138.1
184
0.03
Credit: jimvanmeggelen
Codeine
Plant: Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum)
Did you know?
Codeine is the world’s most widely used opiate drug. It is made by methylating the more abundant drug, morphine.
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: analgaesic
Molecular formula:
C18H21NO3
299.4 54
0.53
Credit: ykanazawa
Quinine
Plant: Cinchona tree (Cinchona ledgeriana)
Did you know?
Quinine was the first effective treatment for malaria. Tonic water glows under UV light as it contains quinine – go on, try it!
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: anti-malaria
Molecular formula:
C20H24N2O2
324.4 68
1.66
Credit:: USGS
Digoxin
Plant: Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
Did you know?
In 2006 an American nurse was convicted of killing 40 patients with overdoses of digoxin and given 18 life sentences
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: treating heart arrhythmia
Molecular formula:
C41H64O14
780.9
7.7
28.91
Credit:: freefotouk
This resource was created by Dr Science & Plants for Schools (
This resource was created by Dr Sarah McLusky, lecturer in biochemistry at Newcastle College (details correct as of 2012) 2

3. Science & Plants for Schools (www.saps.org.uk)
Ephedrine
Plant: ma huang (Ephedra sinica)
Did you know?
Ephedrine is closely related to drugs like speed. Ma huang has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for 5000 years.
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: stimulant, decongestant
Molecular formula:
C10H15NO
165.2 74
0.03
Credit: alexlomas
Strychnine
Plant: Strychnine tree (Strychnos nux-vomica)
Did you know?
Strychnine is the poison of choice in numerous books and films, including the movie ‘Psycho’ and Agatha Christie novels.
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: rat poison
Molecular formula:
C21H22N2O2
334.4
0.41
0.65
Credit: lalithamba
Vinblastine
Plant: Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus)
Did you know?
The Madagascar periwinkle was used as a folk remedy for centuries before the active chemicals were isolated in the 1950s
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: chemotherapy (leukaemia)
Molecular formula:
C46H58N4O9
810.9 15
119.41
Credit: Kew Gardens
Colchicine
Plant: Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale)
Did you know?
Once common, this drug is very toxic and has nasty side effects (like diarrhoea) so is now only used for short term, acute cases
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: treating gout
Molecular formula:
C22H25NO6
399.4
1.7
19.68
Credit: Dietmut
Science & Plants for Schools (
This resource was created by Dr Sarah McLusky, lecturer in biochemistry at Newcastle College (details correct as of 2012) 3

4. Science & Plants for Schools (www.saps.org.uk)
Tubocurarine
Plant: Curare (Chondrodendron tomentosum)
Did you know?
South American natives used this plant extract to poison their arrow heads and blow darts when hunting as it paralyses victims.
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: muscle relaxant, nicotine withdrawal
Molecular formula:
C37H41N2O6
609.7
0.13
7.92
Credit: NTBG
Theophylline
Plant: Tea (Camellia sinensis)
Did you know?
If you have asthma a cup of tea might help! Theophylline was developed as an asthma treatment drug in the 1950s.
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: muscle relaxant and bronchodilator
Molecular formula:
C7H8N4O2
180.2
136
3.17
Credit: nchenga
Vincristine
Plant: Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus)
Did you know?
Extracting this drug from the plant is a slow process with low yields, but the molecule is too complicated to make synthetically.
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: chemotherapy (leukaemia)
Molecular formula:
C46H56N4O10
824.9 3
579.73
Credit: Kew Gardens
Theobromine
Plant: Cocoa (Theobroma cacao)
Did you know?
Dogs metabolise theobromine more slowly than humans and can be poisoned with just one bar of chocolate.
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: diuretic, vasodilator
Molecular formula:
C7H8N4O2
180.2
837
0.07
Credit: Steve Linder
Science & Plants for Schools (
This resource was created by Dr Sarah McLusky, lecturer in biochemistry at Newcastle College (details correct as of 2012) 4

5. Reserpine Topotecan Irinotecan Capsaicin 5
Plant: Snake root (Rauwolfia serpentina)
Did you know?
In India, home of the Snake Root plant, this drug has been has been popular for centuries – even Mahatma Gandhi used it!
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: high blood pressure, anti-psychotic
Molecular formula:
C33H40N2O9
608.7 21
390.34
Credit: kadavoor
Topotecan
Plant: Happy tree (Camptotheca acuminata)
Did you know?
Topotecan inhibits the enzyme DNA topoisomerase and stops cancerous cells replicating.
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: chemotherapy (ovarian & lung cancer)
Molecular formula:
C23H23N3O5
421.4
7.5
23,042.66
Credit: scott.zona
Irinotecan
Plant: Happy tree (Camptotheca acuminata)
Did you know?
Irinotecan and topotecan are derivatives of naturally occurring camptothecin which is used in Chinese herbal medicine.
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: chemotherapy (colorectal cancer)
Molecular formula:
C33H38N4O6
586.7
132
Credit: scott.zona
Capsaicin
Plant: Chilli peppers (Capsicum sp.)
Did you know?
Capsaicin creates a burning sensation on the skin which blocks pain signals – you might have experienced it eating chillies!
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: treating nerve pain and arthritis
Molecular formula:
C18H27NO3
305.4
0.4
62.40
Credit: Ben Geach
This resource was created by Dr Science & Plants for Schools (
This resource was created by Dr Sarah McLusky, lecturer in biochemistry at Newcastle College (details correct as of 2012) 5

6. Science & Plants for Schools (www.saps.org.uk)
Diosgenin
Plant: Yams (Dioscorea sp.)
Did you know?
Diosgenin is a precursor of the hormone progesterone and research on this plant in the 1940s led to the first contraceptive pill
Cost per 100mg (£):
Molecular weight (g):
Toxicity (LD50mouse mg/kg):
Use: contraceptive
Molecular formula:
C27H42O3
414.6
>8000
0.74
Credit: IITA
Science & Plants for Schools (
This resource was created by Dr Sarah McLusky, lecturer in biochemistry at Newcastle College (details correct as of 2012 6