Saturday, 16 July 2005 - 2:30 PM
164

This presentation is part of: Symposia: Chemical Education - Research in High School/Project-based Learning

Tobacco Products Garden Beauty Enhancers: Is it a myth or a curse

Vineeth Nagubandi, Williamsville North High School, east amherst, NY, Murali Krishna Nagubandi, Millard Fillmore Gate Circle Hospital, Buffalo, NY, Dhananjaya Kamisetti, Millard Fillmore Gate Circle Hospital, Buffalo, NY, Nagaiah S. Kothuru, Ratna Junior College, Hyderabad, India, and Lalitha Nagubandi, AvaniRatna, East Amherst, NY.

The Garden is where it all begins. According to the Indian myth in ancient times when the land was barren and the people were starving, the great spirit sent a woman to save humanity.She travelled over the world, everywhere her right hand touched the soil, there grew potatoes and her left hand touched, there grew corn.When the whole world became fertile, she sat down and rested. When she arose there grew tobacco.

Tobacco plant has been viewed as the work of the devil and also as a God's gift. Tobacco is known for 500 years in Europe and probably much longer in other parts of the world. It has been used as a medicinal plant as well as for rituals and pleasure.

Today one uses the tobacco derived products for temporary pleasures, like smoking and chewing. By getting addicted to this habbit one is prone for cancer. Few people realize its many other uses. It has medicinal values making it an extremely valuable. It is an ornamental plant in the flower garden and is used to make one of nature's finest biodegradable all natural pesticide.Today let us ask ourselves, "Can't we make use of this beautiful plant and its products as a natural pesticide rather than falling prey to its flavor".

Tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNA's) a class of known carcinogens, are derived from Tobacco plant. Interaction of tobacco derived products such as nicotine and nicotine type alkaloids with acetyl choline will be discussed.


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