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Contact Allergy from Plants

  • Chapter
Recent Advances in Phytochemistry

Abstract

The causes of adverse human skin reactions to plants can be summarized as follows:-

  1. 1.

    Mechanical injury, e.g. from a spine.

  2. 2.

    Toxicological effects, e.g. alkaloidal poisoning from wood dust of Gonioma (Apocynaceae).

  3. 3.

    Pharmacological effects, e.g. histamine, acetylcholine liberation by stinging hair of nettle, Urtica (Urticaceae).

  4. 4.

    Contact dermatitis by irritancy; chemical, e.g. from Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae), or mechanical and chemical, e.g. granuloma from Opuntia (Cactaceae).

  5. 5.

    Contact dermatitis by immunological effects; immediate hypersensitivity (endogenous or contact urticaria), e.g. from Agave (Agavaceae), or delayed hypersensitivity e.g. from Toxicodendron (Anacardiaceae). Epiphytodermatitis: lichens and liverworts, e.g. Fmllania (Jubilaceae), can cause dermatitis which has incorrectly been attributed to trees such as oak, Querous, (Fagaceae) and ‘cedar’, Thuja (Cupressaceae), on which these epiphytic plants reside.

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Dermatology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    John C. Mitchell

Authors
  1. John C. Mitchell
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Science, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    V. C. Runeckles

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© 1975 Plenum Press, New York

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Mitchell, J.C. (1975). Contact Allergy from Plants. In: Runeckles, V.C. (eds) Recent Advances in Phytochemistry. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-0823-2_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-0823-2_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-0825-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-0823-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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