Role of Ryanodine

Ryanodine is an alkaloid derived from the plant known as Ryania. It creates a very specific reaction in the ryanodine receptor calcium channels of animal tissues, changing how much calcium is allowed into the muscles. Small amounts of ryanodine stop the calcium channels in half-open states, while larger doses shut them completely, causing uncontrollable muscle spasms. The chemical was once used as a pesticide, but is now used only in select medical research.

Ryanodine

• Ryanodine is an ester of the alcohol ryanodol, a potent alkaloid that has a strong effect on animal tissues and cells. It occurs naturally in the plant Ryania, of the family Flacourtiaceae, and is produced synthetically for several medical experiments.

Ryanodine Receptors

• Ryanodine receptors are responsible for ryanodine's effect on the body, so much so that their names are linked. When ryanodine is introduced into a system, it disrupts the ryanodine receptor calcium channels, a select group of calcium channels that run through the cells of animal tissues, releasing calcium as needed. Ryanodine disrupts these channels, changing the calcium storage of muscles and causing them to contract and spasm uncontrollably. Depending on how much ryanodine is introduced to the system, it can either cause calcium channels to freeze, open halfway or shut down completely.

Use as an Insecticide

• Ryanodine's primary commercial use was as an insecticide. The alkaloid's effects on insects was the same as on more complex animals: Their muscles became unable to regulate calcium and spasmed, causing the insect to die. Ryanodine was discontinued as an insecticide, although not before specific varieties were made in an attempt to target insects more specifically.

Medical Uses

• Ryanodine is used in very specific medical research concerning how calcium channels operate and how the flow of calcium may be controlled. There have been no specific medications created from ryanodine, and the experimentation is still uncertain, but some scientists hope to use the chemical to create a medication that may treat some types of paralysis or help regulate calcium intake in specific ways.

Considerations

• As an alkaloid, ryanodine is very poisonous to almost all biological systems. It affects both the heart and the skeletal muscles of humans, and should be treated with care. Obsolete insecticides that contain ryanodine should be handled carefully.