CERBERA THEVETIA

ANAKHA RAJENDRAN

ROLL NO:23

• CERBERA THEVETIA IS A POISONOUS PLANT NATIVE TO CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MEXICO

• ALL PARTS OF THE PLANT ARE POISONOUS• THE FLOWERS ARE LARGE,BELL SHAPED AND YELLOW,SPIRALLY TWISTED

LOBES AND SPREADING• LEAVES ARE LANCEOLATE SHAPED• FRUIT IS GLOBULAR LIGHT GREEN,CONTAINS A SINGLE NUT WHICH IS

TRIANGULAR WITH 4 CHAMBERS EACH ENCLOSING A PALE YELLOW SEED WITH A DEEP GROOVE ALONG THE EDGE

• SEEDS CONTAIN 4% OF CARDIAC GLYCOSIDE ‘THEVETIN’• MILKY JUICE EXUDES FROM ALL PARTS OF THE PLANT

ACTIVE PRINCIPLES

• THEVETIN• THEVETOXIN• CERBERIN• NERIFOLIN• PERUVOSIDE• RUVOSIDE

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

• SAP OF THE PLANT MAY CAUSE INFLAMMATION IN SENSITIVE INDIVIDUALS• CHEWING THE BARK OR SEED KERNEL CAUSES A SLIGHT NUMBING SENSATION AND

FEELING OF HEAT IN THE MOUTH AND PURGING• INGESTION CAUSES BURNING PAIN IN THE MOUTH,DRYNESS OF THROAT,TINGLING

AND NUMBNESS OF TONGUE,VOMITING,DIARRHOEA,HEADACHE• GIDDINESS,DILATED PUPILS,LOSS OF MUSCULAR POWER AND FAINTING• PULSE IS RAPID,WEAK AND IRREGULAR• BLOOD PRESSURE LOW• HEART BLOCK,COLLAPSE AND DEATH FROM PERIPHERAL CIRCULATORY FAILURE

OCCURS

• FATAL DOSE 8-10 SEEDS:15-20 g ROOT:5-10 LEAVES

• FATAL PERIOD 2-3 HOURS

POST MORTEM APPEARANCES

• STOMACH AND DUODENUM MAY BE CONGESTED AND SHOWS FRAGMENTS OF SEEDS

TREATMENT

• WASH OUT THE STOMACH• SODIUM MOLAR LACTATE TRANSFUSION WITH GLUCOSE AND 1mg

ATROPINE,2ml ADRENALINE AND 2mg NORADRENALINE IS BENEFICIAL• ACTIVATED CHARCOAL• ANTI ARRHYTHMIC DRUGS ARE INDICATED IN THE PRESENCE OF

ARRHYTHMIAS• SYMPTOMATIC TREATMENT

CIRCUMSTANCES OF POISONING

• ROOT AND SEEDS ARE USED FOR SUICIDE AND HOMICIDE• ROOT AND SEEDS ARE USED FOR CRIMINAL ABORTION• CATTLE POISONING:SEEDS ARE CRUSHED AND FED TO THE ANIMAL WITH

CORN OR BREAD

PRESERVATION OF VISCERATHE USUAL VISCERA TAKEN FOR CHEMICAL ANALYSIS:• STOMACH WITH CONTENTS AND 30cm OF UPPER INTESTINE IN ONE BOTTLE• 500gm OF LIVER AND HALF OF EACH KIDNEY IN THE SECOND BOTTLE• 30ml OF BLOOD• 30ml OF URINE• A SAMPLE OF THE PRESERVATIVE SHOULD BE TAKEN IN ANOTHER BOTTLE• RECTIFIED SPIRIT IS A GOOD PRESERVATIVE IN CASE OF PLANT POISONING

SINCE PLANT POISONS ARE GLYCOSIDES AND ALKALOIDS WHICH REACT WITH SODIUM CHLORIDE

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