Drugs From Plants

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. The first drug is one that has been in use for centuries as a painkiller. It was originally taken as a powder made from the bark and leaves of a willow tree but is more usually taken as a tablet now. Which drug am I describing? Answer: (One Word)

2. Diamorphine is very powerful analgesic obtained from the opium poppy but it is probably better known by another name which was originally a trade name. What is this other name? Answer: (One Word)

3. The bark of Cinchona succiruba is the source of a very widely used drug, first used in European medicine in the 1600s and still in use today. Which drug is it? Cocaine Paracetamol Quinine Warfarin

4. Paclitaxel has become one of the most effective drugs used in the treatment of breast and ovarian cancers. It was first discovered in the bark and leaves of a tree. Which type? Cinnamon Oak Willow Yew

5. William Withering is famous for having first published a paper in 1785 describing the use of digitalis (derived from foxgloves) in treating dropsy. The modern drug digoxin is isolated from digitalis. What is less well-known is that the grandfather of an even more famous man collaborated with Withering in the treatment of at least one patient and published his own account of the use of digitalis. Whose grandfather was it? Michael Faraday Lord Kelvin James Clerk Maxwell Charles Darwin

6. Caffeine is a well-known constituent of tea but which drug, used to help people with asthma and other breathing difficulties, is also derived from the same plant, Camellia sinensis? Salbutamol Ipratropium Prednisolone Theophylline

7. Capsaicin cream is a fairly recent treatment for pain, particularly arthritis pain and nerve pain, and has also been used to help people who suffer from bad itching. The active ingredient comes from a plant that is found in our kitchens but do you know what it is? Onions Chilli peppers Basil leaves Celery

8. Yams are the source of a group of chemicals that are very important to human medicine as they are used to treat a wide range of conditions. This group of medicines derived from yams are called what? Diuretics Analgesics Steroids Antibiotics

9. Gout is a condition that makes everyone think of wealthy Georgian gentlemen overindulging in rich food and port and having to sit with their gouty foot on a stool. It's the subject of cartoons and jokes but can be excruciatingly painful. The autumn crocus is a plant which provides a toxic drug that is nevertheless useful in treating gout. What is it? Answer: (One Word)

10. Vinca alkaloids are a group of chemical compounds that are of enormous benefit in treating some cancers and, particularly, leukaemias. Do you know which plant they were originally found in? Periwinkle Belladonna Gardenia Stephanotis