Dr. Richard Fitch of Indiana State University will be presenting a seminar entitled, "A Tale of Two Alkaloids."  

Abstract:  Alkaloids of poison-dart frogs of the neotropics have been well-studied.  To date over 800 alkaloids in 20 structural classes have been identified.  These alkaloids have been the subject of many synthetic and pharmacologic studies.  Here we will discuss two alkaloids, epiquinamide and phantasmidine, An alkaloid of particular note, epibatidine, was isolated from an Ecuadoran poison frog, Epipedobates anthonyi (formerly E. tricolor).  Epibatidine has garnered much interest because of its potent activity as a nicotinic receptor agonist and non-opioid analgesic.  More recently, we isolated two new alkaloids from extracts of this frog, epiquinamide and phantasmidine.  Our laboratory has been engaged in synthetic and pharmacologic studies with both of these alkaloids as potential nicotinic receptor ligands.  One study has proven fruitful and the other not as much, but both have been instructive, if not always in the ways we expect.  Our results to date will be discussed.

For more information about Dr. Fitch and his research, click here.