Question

For the following specie:
Giant Hogweed(heracleum mantegazzianum)

Please find

Taxonomy: plant family for each genus.

•Type of Plant: are the species annual, biennial or perennial; herbaceous or woody?

•Habitat and Ecology: environmental requirements of each species.

•Distribution: both native and humanintroduced distributions of each species.

•Phytochemistry type and name of chemical(s) responsible for skin irritation.

•Nature of Dermatological Reaction:how it occurs;symptoms, longevity, severity,etc.

•Treatment:methods for alleviating symptoms of dermatological reacion

Answer 1

Gaint hogweed ( Heracleum mantegazzianum )

□ Taxonomy: belong to family Apiaceae genus heracleum

□ Type of plant:

- Heracleum mantegazzianum is a monocarpic perennial herbaceous flowering plant. Broad leaved, herbaceous, perennial, seed propagated.

Heracleum percium is an persian hogweed native to iran, iraq and europe

Heracleum sosnowskyi, a common weed throughout asia and europe.

□ Habitat and ecology: terrestrial, were native to 50 an 2000m altitude, annual rainfall between 1000 to 2000 mm per anum, the continental temperate of climate of hot summer and cold witners. In alluvial forests, old fields, river bank, roadsides, grasslands and arable fields.

- Rail or roadsides, distributed areas - principal habitat, manahed grasslands, wetlands, natural forest, river bank etc are secondary or tolerated habitat.

- Climate preferred - warm temperate climate with dry summer. Warm average temperature >10°c, Cold average temperature >0°C , dry summer.

□ Distribution: Asia, Europe, North America and Oceana.

- Native - Georgia, Russia.

- Introduced - Austria, Denmark, Canada, Ontario, Australia, New Zealand etc..

□ Phytochemistry: furanocoumarin (psoralen, Angelicin, bergapten) is responsible for the phototoxic - dermatological reactions (phytophotodermatitis).

□ Nature of dermatological reaction: Cutaneous inflammatory reaction caused by light sensitizing botanical agents(psoralen) contact followed by exposure to UV light (sun light) resulting erythema, blisters and edema. It is not a immunological reaction, it is due to contact or exposure to the photo toxic agents.

- Furanocoumarins get activated by long wavelength ultraviolet rays and results in inflammatory reaction causing erythema, edema and blisters.

- Severity depends on extent of contact and inflammatory response, usually symptoms begins 48hrs to 76 hrs ro reach peak and last for upto 10 days.

- Prevention and treatment: Avoid contact with apiaceae family plants, wash clearly if u had a contact. Protective clothing at exposure or sunscreen to exposed area.

□ Treatment: topical and oral anti inflammatory to be used to decrease the severity of symptoms.

- Topical steroids to reduce the erythema and blistering in early phase.

- Oral anti inflammatory to reduce the inflammatory response.

- Post inflammatory pigementation is one of the concern of patients. Can be treated with bleaching creams (but photophytodermatitis poorly responds to it) other cosmetic therapies can used later to reduce the hyperpigmentation etc.

Thankyou..