Suicide Tree: Classification, Characteristics, Extracts, and Toxicity
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Cerbera
Species: C. odollam
Introduction
C. odollam, often known as C manghas L, is a poisonous Apocynaceae plant. In different parts of the world, the plant is called pong-pong, buta-buta, nyan, or yellow-eyed cerbera tree. It grows primarily in coastal saline swamps and streams in southern India, as well as along river banks in southern and central Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Malaysia. Because of the presence of very deadly cardiac glycoside in the seeds, they have a long history as a poison, notably in Madagascar. Aside from poisoning, the herb has long been used as an emetic, cathartic, and in the treatment of hydrophobia and rheumatism.
Characteristics
1. Cerbera odollam Gaertn. is a mangrove plant in the Apocynaceae family that is widely distributed throughout the coasts of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean (Laphookhieo et al., 2004).
2. Cerbera odollam Gaertner (pink-eyed Cerbera, yellow-eyed Cerbera, odollam tree), also known as Cerbera manghas L, is a toxic member of the Apocynaceae family, which also includes yellow oleanders.
3. The C. odollam plant grows to a height of 6 to 15 meters and has green fleshy lanceolate leaves with delicate, delicious white blooms.
4. The huge white blossoms have a sweet jasmine-like aroma.
5. The plant’s most noticeable feature is its innocent-looking fruits, which resemble miniature mangos.
6. When still green, the fruit resembles a small mango, with a green fibrous shell surrounding an oval kernel of roughly 2 cm x 1.5 cm and two cross-matching white fleshy halves.
7. The white kernel turns violet when exposed to air, then dark grey, then brown or black when exposed to air.
8. A milky white latex is produced by the entire plant. The tree can be found growing along riverbanks in southern and central Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, as well as coastal salt swamps and creeks in South India (especially near Kerala’s canals and backwaters).
9. The plant is known as Dabur, Dhakur, or Um-Dabur in Bangladesh. Because of the very deadly cardiac glycosides found in the seeds, they have a long history in Madagascar as an agony poison.
10. The seeds contain non-siccative oil, which produces a bright flame with a nutty aroma.
11. It’s a species native to India and other regions of southern Asia, and it grows best in coastal saline swamps and marshy environments, but it’s also used as a hedge between homes.
12. Its fruit resembles a small mango when it is still green, with a green fibrous shell enclosing an ovoid kernel of roughly 2 cm 1.5 cm and composed of two crossmatching white fleshy halves.
13. Cerberin, a digoxin-type cardenolide and cardiac glycoside toxin found in the kernels of Cerbera odollam inhibit calcium ion channels in heart muscle, causing heartbeat disturbance and, most often, death. Vomiting was shown to be the second most prevalent poisoning sign in people. Electrocardiographic abnormalities were found to be prevalent, with sinus bradycardia being the most common.
Extracts
Triticusterol, 2,6-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-6-methyl benzoic acid, vebioside, deacetyl-tanghinin, neriifolin, tanghinin, monoacetylneriifolin, and cardenolide glycoside have all been found in previous phytochemical studies of C. odollam. Beta-O-(2’-O-acetyl-lthevetosyl)-3 beta-O-(2’-O-acetyl-lthevetosyl)-3 beta-O-(2-O-acetyl- beta-(8R)-14-oxocard-20 –abeo-5 –enolide (cerleaside A, 2’-O-acetyl). Anticancer, antinociceptive, antibacterial, diuretic, cytotoxic, neuropharmacological, and antioxidant actions of this plant were also discovered during the biological activity evaluation.
Uses
1. The plant’s bark and leaves have been used for emetic and cathartic purposes in the past.
2. Emesis is treated with kernels, and hydrophobia is treated with fruit (Kirtikar and Basu, 1987)
3. Its bark and fruits are used to treat rheumatism and are purgative (Rollet, 1981).
4. It produces a poisonous fruit called Othalanga, which has been used for suicide and murder.
5. It is used by the Burmese for lighting, cosmetics, and as a pesticide or insect repellant when blended with other oils (Chopra et al., 1956).
6. The white kernel turns violet when exposed to air, then dark grey, brown, and finally black when exposed to air. The very deadly chemical cerberin found in its seeds is responsible for its lethal effect. Cerberin is a cardiac glycoside, a type of chemical substance that lowers heart rate. One Cerbera odollam seed contains enough cerebin to kill an adult. It acts in the same manner that a deadly injection does to stop your heart.
Toxicity
Plants are known to have anti-insect properties, including larvicidal properties, due to their chemical compounds. It was used as a homicide/suicide agent in India, with occasional accidental poisoning, notably among youngsters who mistook the fruit for food. According to Indian data, Cerbera odollam poisoning accounted for 50% of all plant-based poisoning incidents in Kerala, India between 1989 and 1999. C. odollam is a member of the Apocynaceae family, which includes yellow oleander (Thevetia sp.) and common oleander (Narium sp.). Both of them are toxic.
In the early nineteenth century, the first accurate descriptions of the toxin were written down (Gaillard et al., 2004). It is used by the Burmese for illumination, as a cosmetic, and as a pesticide or insect repellant when blended with other oils (Chopra et al., 1956). Guruswami et al. (1970) investigated the pharmacological effects of a crude ethanolic extract of C. odollam seed on 50 frogs’ hearts, finding that the predominant effect was to decrease the heart’s impulse-producing and conducing tissues. The leaves and bark are eaten in various areas for their cathartic qualities (Chopra et al., 1958).