What is the toxin used in blow darts?

Answer 1

There are several toxins used in blow darts and poison arrows around the world. Below is an excerpt from Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow_poison

Plant based poisons

Strychnos Toxifera, a plant commonly used in the preparation of curareCurare is a generic term for arrow poisons that contain D-tubocurarine. Most frequently it is derived from the bark of Strychnos toxifera or S. guianensis (Family Loganiaceae) and of Chondrodendron tomentosum or Sciadotenia toxifera (Family Menispermaceae). Curare is a competitive antagonist that blocks nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on the post synaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction. It is a muscle relaxant that causes death by paralyzing the respiratory system, resulting in asphyxiation.

Inee, also known as onaye, is a type of arrow poison used in sub-Saharan West Africa, particularly in the areas of Togo and Cameroon. It is made from the plant Strophanthus hispidus, and as such relies on cardiac glycosides (strophanthin) found in the genus Strophanthus for its effect.

In Africa arrow poisons are made from plants that have cardiac glycosides from such plants as Acokanthera (containing ouabain, a cardiac glycoside), oleander (Nerium), and milkweeds (Family Apocynaceae).

Poisoned arrows are used widely in the jungle areas of Assam, Burma and Malaysia. The main plant sources for the poisons are members of the Antiaris, Strychnos and Strophanthus genera. Antiaris toxicaria for example, a tree of the mulberry and breadfruit family, is commonly used on Java and its neighbouring islands. The sap or juice of the seeds is smeared on the arrow head on its own or mixed with other plant extracts. The fast-acting active ingredient (either antiarin, strychnine or strophanthin) attacks the central nervous system causing paralysis, convulsions and cardiac arrest.

Several species of Aconitum or "aconite" have been used as arrow poisons. The Minaro in Ladakh use A. napellus on their arrows to hunt ibex; they were in use recently near lake Issyk Kul in Kyrgyzstan., while the Ainus in Japan used a species of Aconitum to hunt bear., and by the Butias and Lepchas in Sikkim and Assam. The Chinese also used Aconitum poisons both for hunting, and for warfare. Animal-based poisons

The black-legged dart frog, a variety of poison arrow frog whose secretions are used in the preparation of poison dartsIn South America, tribes such as the Noanamá Chocó and Emberá Chocó Indians of western Colombia dip the tips of their blowgun darts in the poison found on the skin of three species of Phyllobates, a genus of the poison dart frog. In north Chocó, Phyllobates aurotaenia is used, while in the departments of Risaralda and Choco to the south, P. bicolor is used. In Cauca, only P. terribilis is used for dart making. The poison is generally collected by roasting the frogs over a fire, but the batrachotoxins in P. terribilis are powerful enough that it is sufficient to dip the dart in the back of the frog without killing it.

In the northern Kalahari, the most commonly used arrow poison is derived from the larva and pupae of beetles of the genus Diamphidia. It is applied to the arrow either by squeezing the contents of the larva directly onto the arrow head, mixing it with plant sap to act as an adhesive, or by mixing a powder made from the dried larva with plant juices and applying that to the arrow tip. The toxin is slow attacking and the injured animal can travel 40-70 miles (64-112 km) before succumbing to the effects.