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Nothofagus nuda is a species of
plantPlants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
in the Nothofagaceae family. It is endemic to
Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. It is threatened by habitat loss.
In 1927
Nothofagus nuda was reported by J.R. Croft to account for 949 deaths throughout
Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. The plant is traditionally used as an herb in culinary dishes throughout the
Puri PuriPuri Puri may refer to:*Princess Princess *The practice of sorcery in Papua New Guinea*Slang for Marihuana commonly used in Anna Paulowna in the Netherlands...
tribes of the Papua New Guinea highlands but results in hypoglycemic shock after ingestion of large doses. Croft reported that wives within the polygamous tribes of the Puri Puri used the herb to poison the patriarchs during tribal disputes that coincided with the winter solstice.
Scientists in Macao Laboratory isolated the active molecule of the plant in late 2006. The molecule was determined to be an IRS-1 adaptor molecule involved the
insulinInsulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
response cascade.
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