bufonis venenum

Bufonis venenum is the dried secretion from the skin and parotoid glands of certain toads (primarily Bufo gargarizans Cantor and Bufo melanostictus Schneider), used in traditional Chinese medicine. Its main active constituents are bufadienolides (such as bufalin, cinobufagin, resibufogenin) and indole alkaloids. It has been traditionally used for a variety of indications including sunstroke, fainting spells, abdominal pain with vomiting or diarrhea ("acute filthy disease"), sore throat with phlegm-heat toxicity (topically or internally), heart deficiency problems (cardiotonic use), various cancers (notably liver cancer and other solid tumors), infections including biofilm-associated S. aureus infection, pain relief (analgesic activity), anti-inflammatory effects and as a topical anesthetic[1][2][4][6][7]. Pharmacologically: - Bufadienolides act primarily as Na+/K+-ATPase inhibitors in cardiac myocytes leading to increased intracellular calcium ions and enhanced cardiac contractility; they also induce apoptosis in tumor cells via multiple pathways including Fas-mediated apoptosis and mitochondrial pathways[2][5][7]. - Some components inhibit VEGF-mediated angiogenesis or induce reactive oxygen species accumulation in tumor cells. - Indolealkylamines contribute anti-inflammatory effects; some have analgesic properties. Despite promising pharmacological activities—especially antitumor—bufonis venenum is limited by significant toxicity risks such as cardiotoxicity and neurovirulence[1][8]. It is available both as raw material for compounding/traditional use ("Chan Su") or processed into pharmaceutical forms like Huachansu capsules/injection.

Brand names

Chan SuHuachansu

Other names

Venenum Bufonistoad venomsumsuCh'an Susenso