TOXIC PLANTS IN TRADITIONAL INDIAN SYSTEMS OF MEDICINE
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 80% of the population of developing countries relies on traditional medicines, mostly plant drugs, for their primary health care needs. Also, modern pharmacopoeia still contains at least 25% drugs derived from plants and many others which are synthetic analogues built on prototype compounds isolated from plants. Siddha system is one of the oldest systems of medicine in India. The Siddha system is capable of treating all types of disease (especially chronic diseases) other than emergency cases.
The Pharmacology (Materia Medica) of Siddha system is divided into three major parts namely Herbal kingdom, Metals & Minerals and Animal kingdom. The initial treatment consists of Herbal treatment followed by metal and mineral preparations. It is important to have an awareness regarding the poisonous plants which when used in the proper, prescribed dose, acts as potent therapeutic agents.
Toxins are molecules that are harmful to living organisms. It is a fact that virtually any substance can be harmful at high enough concentrations - as Paracelsus (1493-1541) said in the sixteenth century, "the dose makes the poison." Poisons include both naturally produced compounds and chemicals manufactured by humans. Natural poisons are produced by species of bacteria, fungi, protists, plants, and animals.
This article has the basic details such as the Botanical & Family names, Common names, toxic parts of the plant, chemical constituents, signs and symptoms of toxicity, its use in Traditional Indian Systems of Medicine (in prescribed doses), and information about Lethal dose and Fatal period of the important plants (such as Papaver somniferum, Datura alba, Nerium oleander, Strychnos nux vomica, Cleistanthus collinus, Cannabis sativa, Gloriosa superba, Anamirta cocculus, Citrulus colocynthis, Abrus precatorius, Semecarpus anacardium, Excoecaria agallocha, Digitalis purpurea, Aconitum ferrox, Crotontiglium and Plumbago zeylanica) noted as poisons in the Traditional Indian Systems of Medicine.
Botanical name & Family |
Common Name | Toxic parts | Constituents | Action | Uses | note |
Abrus Precatorius
|
Jequirity, Indian Jamaica or Wild Liquorices |
Roots, seeds,& leaves |
Abrin | Vomiting, Cardiac poison. |
Externally used in Alopecia, Sciatica, Paralysis& Other nervous diseases |
LD: 90gm- 120gm. FP: 24-72 hrs. |
Aconitum ferox | Indian aconite or Monkshood |
Dried tuberous root |
Napelline or Pseudo aconite |
Gastro Intestinal Tract irritant &Cardiac poison. |
Externally used in Neuralgia, Muscular rheumatism, Nervine tonic in case of paralysis. |
LD: 2.5- 4gm FP: 5 hrs |
Anamirta cocculus, | Indian berry, fish berry. |
Fresh fruit |
Picrotoxin | In smallest doses it is given in epilepsy |
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Cannabis sativa | Indian hemp | Dried flowers and fruits |
Cannabin, cannabinon, cannabinol |
Deliriant poison, produce Over excitement , Narcotic stage & Death. |
Neuralgia, Migraine, Whooping cough, Asthma, Dysmenorrhea & Menorrhagia. |
LD: Bhang:10g m Ganja:8gm Charas:2g m. FP: 24hrs- 7 days. |
Cleistanthus collinus | Bark | Saponins | Extremely poisonous |
Bark is a fish poison. |
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Citrullus colocynthis | Colocynth, Indian wild Gourd or bitter apple, bitter cucumber. |
Fruit, Root, Dried Pulp of the fruit. |
Colocynthin | Ascitis, Jaundice, Amenorrhea, Fever, Constipation |
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Croton tiglium | Purgative croton, croton oil seed. |
Seed, oil. | Tiglinic acid, Crotonic, or quartenylic acid. |
GIT irritant &Cardiac poison. |
Dropsy, Cerebral affection like apoplexy, Convulsions, Insanity, Obstinate constipation, intestinal obstruction |
LD: 1 seed Oil: 15- 20ml. FP: 6 - 36hrs. |
Datura alba | Thorn apple | Whole plant |
Daturine | Deliriant poison produce collapse & death. |
Spasmodic asthma. |
LD: 0.6- 1gm. FP: 24 hrs |
Digitalis purpurea | Fox glove | Cardiac poison. |
LD: 15-30 mg FP: 30 min - 24 hrs |
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Excoecaria agallocha |
Tigers milk tree |
Epilepsy, externally in ulcers, snake poison. |
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Gloriosa superba | Superblily | Tubers(roots) | Superbine& glucosine |
GIT irritant &Respiratory poison |
Gonorrhea, externally in snake bite& Scorpion Sting. |
LD:800mg FP: 12-24 hrs. |
Nerium oleander | Sweet scented oleander, Roseberry spurge |
Root & root bark | Neriodorin | Cardiac poison | Small doses in Snake bites& powerful venomous bites, externally used in Hamorrhoids, Cancers |
LD:16gm FP: 24-36 hrs. |
Papaver somniferum | Opium poppy capsules, White poppy, poppy seeds. |
Ripe &dried capsules, petals seeds |
Morphine, Narcotine, Codeine, Thebaine |
Depression Narcotic poison |
Cough, Asthma, Insomnia, Diarrhoea, Dysentry, Intestinal inflammatory pain. |
LD:Opium: 0.9-1.8gm Morphine:3 0mg Codeine:1 0-60mg Tincture opium:250 mg Pethedine: 1gm FP: 6-12 hrs. |
Plumbago zeylanica | Ceylon leadwort, White leadwort. |
Root | Plumbagin | Externally it produces rashes & Gastro intestinal poison. |
Internally root causes Abortion, Externally in Abscess, Leprosy and Scabies. |
LD:5gm |
Semecarpus anacardium |
Markins nut tree. |
Fruit, Gum, oil. |
Anacardiac acid & Cardol anacardol |
GIT irritant, Externally it produces Rashes on skin. |
Internally used in Syphilis, Piles, Rheumatism, Palsy, Epilepsy, Chronic enlargement of spleen |
LD: 5 10 gm FP: 12 24 hours |