ABSTRACT
Natural toxins, and speci›cally those produced by plants, have multiple and diverse functions that can either be detrimental or bene›cial to both animals and humans. It has been argued for decades that many of these compounds serve as a defense mechanism to protect plants against herbivory, predation, or disease (reviewed by Wink 1999). Secondary compounds can protect a plant in various ways by imparting bitterness or causing discomfort or some other negative cue to inhibit herbivory, or it may be overtly toxic thus killing the predator, debilitating it, or causing an inherent aversion to the plant.
