Radiation Oncology/Drugs/Ethnopharmacologic therapeutic agent/Podophyllum

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  • Podophyllum is an herbaceous perennial plant in the family Berberidaceae, described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753
  • In the past, several species were included in the genus, but all but one have been transferred to other genera (Dysosma and Sinopodophyllum)
  • The one remaining species is Podophyllum peltatum, with common names mayapple, American mandrake, wild mandrake, and ground lemon
  • It is widespread across most of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada
  • Mayapple contains podophyllotoxin, which is highly toxic if consumed, but can be used as a topical medicine
  • Mayapple has been used by American Indians as an emetic, cathartic, and antihelmintic agent
  • The rhizome of the mayapple has been used for a variety of medicinal purposes, originally by indigenous inhabitants and later by other settlers
  • Mayapple can be also used topically as an escharotic in removing warts, and two of its derivatives, etoposide and teniposide, have shown promise in treating some cancers
  • Etoposide is among the World Health Organisations's list of essential medicines and it is derived from podophyllotoxin