The fascinating phototoxic effect of giant hogweed

Giant hogweed is a plant, that most commonly grews in the middle and northwestern of Europe as well as in North America. It can be recognized by its long stems (up to 5 meters), white flowers and red spots. Due to its phototoxicity it is considered to be a noxious weed. In the 19th century the giant hogweed, also known as hogsbane, was brought to Great Britain as an ornamental plant but since has spread all over Middle Europe. What is so fascinating about this plant is not its appearance but its effects on the human body, especially on the human skin.

Touching any part of the plant (leaves, roots, stems, flowers, and seeds) is risky since its sap in combination with sunlight, more precisely with ultraviolet light, can cause servere skin inflammation as well as up to second-degree burns of the skin and blisters. Because of emitted fumes, on hot summer days, even standing beside a hogsbane plant can cause dyspnoea (=breathlessness). Even suffering a circulatory shock is possible. The symptoms usually develop within 48 hours. When exposed directly to sunlight the skin usually turns red starts itching immediately. During the night the giant hogweed is harmless.

The reason of the phototoxical effects are derivates of ,,furanocoumarin’’. They invade the nucleus of the epithelial cells and connect with the DNA, which causes these cells to die and makes the impacted parts of the skin hypersensitive to ultraviolet light.

When interacting with the giant hogweed, protective clothes (including eye protection) should always be worn. Children should be kept away from these plants. If charactaristical symptoms appear a doctor should be consulted and the affected parts of the skin should be washed with water and soap as well as protected from ultraviolet light for a few days.

I hope I could give you Steemians some insights of what I think is one of the most exciting and fascinating plants in the world – a plant that is dangerous during the day and harmless during the night.

Stay healthy!