Radiation Oncology/Drugs/Ethnopharmacologic therapeutic agent/Podophyllum


 * Podophyllum is an herbaceous perennial plant in the family Berberidaceae, described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753
 * In the past, several species were included in the genus, but all but one have been transferred to other genera (Dysosma and Sinopodophyllum)
 * The one remaining species is Podophyllum peltatum, with common names mayapple, American mandrake, wild mandrake, and ground lemon
 * It is widespread across most of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada
 * Mayapple contains podophyllotoxin, which is highly toxic if consumed, but can be used as a topical medicine
 * Mayapple has been used by American Indians as an emetic, cathartic, and antihelmintic agent
 * The rhizome of the mayapple has been used for a variety of medicinal purposes, originally by indigenous inhabitants and later by other settlers
 * Mayapple can be also used topically as an escharotic in removing warts, and two of its derivatives, etoposide and teniposide, have shown promise in treating some cancers
 * Etoposide is among the World Health Organisations's list of essential medicines and it is derived from podophyllotoxin