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Cantharidin
 
 
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Cantharidin, a type of terpenoid
Terpenoid

The terpenoids , sometimes called isoprenoids, are a large and diverse class of naturally-occurring organic compound similar to terpenes, derived from five-carbon isoprene units assembled and modified in thousands of ways....
, is a poison
Poison

In the context of biology, poisons are Chemical substance that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ous chemical compound
Chemical compound

A chemical compound is a Chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical element Chemical bond together in a fixed mass ratio that can be split into simpler substances....
 secreted by many species of blister beetle
Blister beetle

Beetles in the family Meloidae are commonly known as blister beetles. There are approximately 2,500 known species worldwide. Many are conspicuous and some aposematically colored, announcing their toxicity to would-be predators....
, and most notably by the Spanish fly
Spanish fly

The Spanish fly is an emerald-green beetle in the family Meloidae, Lytta vesicatoria. Other species of blister beetle used in apothecary are often called by the same name....
, Lytta vesicatoria. The false blister beetles
Oedemeridae

The family Oedemeridae is a cosmopolitan group of beetles commonly known as false blister beetles, though some recent authors have coined the name pollen-feeding beetles....
 and cardinal beetles also have cantharidin.

haridin was first isolated by Pierre Robiquet in 1810.






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Cantharidin, a type of terpenoid
Terpenoid

The terpenoids , sometimes called isoprenoids, are a large and diverse class of naturally-occurring organic compound similar to terpenes, derived from five-carbon isoprene units assembled and modified in thousands of ways....
, is a poison
Poison

In the context of biology, poisons are Chemical substance that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ous chemical compound
Chemical compound

A chemical compound is a Chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical element Chemical bond together in a fixed mass ratio that can be split into simpler substances....
 secreted by many species of blister beetle
Blister beetle

Beetles in the family Meloidae are commonly known as blister beetles. There are approximately 2,500 known species worldwide. Many are conspicuous and some aposematically colored, announcing their toxicity to would-be predators....
, and most notably by the Spanish fly
Spanish fly

The Spanish fly is an emerald-green beetle in the family Meloidae, Lytta vesicatoria. Other species of blister beetle used in apothecary are often called by the same name....
, Lytta vesicatoria. The false blister beetles
Oedemeridae

The family Oedemeridae is a cosmopolitan group of beetles commonly known as false blister beetles, though some recent authors have coined the name pollen-feeding beetles....
 and cardinal beetles also have cantharidin.

History

Black Blister Beetle
Cantharidin was first isolated by Pierre Robiquet in 1810. It is an odorless and colorless solid at room temperature
Room temperature

Room temperature is a common term to denote a certain temperature within enclosed space at which humans are accustomed.Room temperature is thus often indicated by general human comfort, with the common range of 10celsius to 23?C , though climate may acclimatize people to higher or lower temperatures....
. It is secreted by the male blister beetle
Blister beetle

Beetles in the family Meloidae are commonly known as blister beetles. There are approximately 2,500 known species worldwide. Many are conspicuous and some aposematically colored, announcing their toxicity to would-be predators....
 and given to the female during the mating. Afterwards the female beetle will cover its eggs with it as a defense against predators. The complete mechanism of the biosynthesis
Biosynthesis

Biosynthesis is a phenomenon wherein chemical compounds are produced from simpler reagents. Biosynthesis, unlike chemosynthesis, takes place within living organisms and is generally catalyst by enzymes....
 is currently unknown. If cantharidin is ingested, it severely irritates the urinary tract as it is excreted, causing swelling of the genitalia. This can cause a harmful condition known as priapism
Priapism

Priapism is a potentially harmful and painful medical condition in which the erection penis does not return to its flaccid state, despite the absence of both physical and psychological stimulation, within four hours....
 in men, where an erection lasts more than about four hours.




Medical uses

Diluted, it can be used to remove wart
Wart

A wart is generally a small, rough tumor, typically on hands and feet but often other locations, that can resemble a cauliflower or a solid blister....
s and tattoo
Tattoo

A tattoo is a permanent marking made by inserting ink into the layers of skin to change the pigment for decorative or other reasons. Tattoos on humans are a type of decorative body modification, while tattoos on animals are most commonly used for identification or branding....
s and to treat the small papules of Molluscum contagiosum
Molluscum contagiosum

Molluscum contagiosum is a viral infection of the skin or occasionally of the mucous membranes. MC has no animal reservoir, infecting only humans, as did smallpox....
.

Medical risks for humans

Its potential for adverse effects has led it to being included in a list of "problem drugs" used by dermatologists.

When ingested
Ingestion

Ingestion is the consumption of a substance by an organism. In animals, it normally is accomplished by taking in the substance through the mouth into the gastrointestinal tract, such as through eating or drinking....
 by humans, the LD50
LD50

In toxicology, the median lethal dose, LD50 , or LCt50 of a toxic substance or radiation is the Dose required to kill half the members of a tested population....
 is around 0.5 mg/kg, with a dose of as little as 10 milligrams being potentially fatal. Ingesting cantharidin can also cause permanent renal damage. Symptoms of cantharidin poisoning include haematuria and abdominal pains. The extreme toxicity of cantharidin makes any use as an aphrodisiac
Aphrodisiac

An aphrodisiac is a substance which is used in the belief that it increases sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the Greek mythology of sensuality....
 highly dangerous because it can easily cause death. As a result, it is illegal to sell (or use) cantharidin for this purpose in many countries.

Medical risks for animals

Horses are highly sensitive to cantharidin: the LD50 for horses is approximately 1 mg/kg of the horse's body weight. Horses may be accidentally poisoned when fed bales of fodder with blister beetles in them.

Footnotes


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