Recherches contemporaines sur les poisons de flèches

We discuss here of the more recent arrow poisons: first the cardiac poisons (Naucleopsis sp in South America, Parquetina nigrescens in Africa), therefore the African curarizing poisons ( Strychnos usambarensis, Triclisia dictyophylla). The research into arrow poisons in providing molecular structures of glycosides, alkaloids, terpenoids...for study by chemists and pharmacologists. This role is still very important at the present day (cf numerous researchs about the structure-activity relations of cardiotonic drugs and the new moecular models for the alkaloids extracted from Strychnos or Aconitum).