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|Section2= |Section7= }} Cantharidin is a terpene secreted by many species of blister beetles, and most notably by the Spanish fly, ''Lytta vesicatoria''. The false blister beetles, cardinal beetles, and soldier beetles also produce cantharidin. It is a poisonous blistering agent and can cause severe chemical burns. However, these same properties make it effective as a topical medication. ==History== Cantharidin was first isolated in 1810 by Pierre Robiquet, a French chemist then living in Paris, from ''Lytta vesicatoria''. Robiquet demonstrated that cantharidin was the actual principle responsible for the aggressively blistering properties of the coating of the eggs of that insect, and established that cantharidin had definite toxic properties comparable in degree to those of the most virulent poisons known in the 19th century, such as strychnine. It is an odorless and colorless solid at room temperature. It is secreted by the male blister beetle and given to the female as a copulatory gift during mating. Afterwards, the female beetle covers her eggs with it as a defense against predators. The complete mechanism of the biosynthesis of cantharidin is currently unknown. The level of cantharidin in blister beetles can be quite variable. Among blister beetles of the genus ''Epicauta'' in Colorado, ''E. pennsylvanica'' contains about 0.2 mg, ''E. maculata'' contains 0.7 mg, and ''E. immaculata'' contains 4.8 mg per beetle; males also contain higher levels than females. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「cantharidin」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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