''Cerbera odollam'' is a tree species in the family

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (from ''Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison Members of the ...

commonly known as the ''suicide tree'', ''pong-pong'', ''mintolla'', and ''othalam.'' It bears a fruit known as ''othalanga (Malayalam: ഒതളങ്ങ)'' that yields a potent poison that has been used for suicide and murder. It is native to

South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

and

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

and to

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia, growing preferentially in coastal salt swamps and in

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...

y areas but also grown as a hedge plant between home compounds.

Common names

''Cerbera odollam'' is known by a number of vernacular names, depending on the region. These include ''othalam (ഒതളം)'' in the Malayalam language used in Kerala, India; ''kattu arali (காட்டரளி)'' in the adjacent state of Tamil Nadu; ''ডাবুর (Dabur)'' in Bengali; ''famentana'', ''kisopo'', ''samanta'' or ''tangena'' in Madagascar; and ''pong-pong'', ''buta-buta'', ''bintaro'' or ''nyan'' in Southeast Asia.Gaillard Y, Krishnamoorthy A, Bevalot F., 2004, "Cerbera odollam: a 'suicide tree' and cause of death in the state of Kerala, India," ''J. Ethnopharmacol.'' 95(2-3):123-126.

Description

''Cerbera odollam'' bears a close resemblance to

oleander ''Nerium oleander'' ( ), most commonly known as oleander or nerium, is a shrub or small tree cultivated worldwide in temperate and subtropical areas as an ornamental and landscaping plant. It is the only species currently classified in the ge ...

, another highly toxic plant from the same family. Its branchlets are whorled about the trunk, and its leaves are terminally crowded, with tapering bases, acuminate apices, and entire margins. The plant as a whole yields a milky, white latex. Its fruit, when still green, looks like a small

mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...

, with a green fibrous shell enclosing an ovoid kernel measuring approximately 2 cm × 1.5 cm and consisting of two cross-matching white fleshy halves. On exposure to air, the white kernel turns violet, then dark grey, and ultimately brown, or black.

Toxicity

The kernels of ''C. odollam'' contain

cerberin Cerberin is a type of cardiac glycoside, a steroidal class found in the seeds of the dicotyledonous angiosperm genus ''Cerbera''; including the suicide tree (''Cerbera odollam'') and the sea mango (''Cerbera manghas''). This class includes digita ...

, a

digoxin Digoxin (better known as Digitalis), sold under the brand name Lanoxin among others, is a medication used to treat various heart conditions. Most frequently it is used for atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and heart failure. Digoxin is on ...

-type

cardenolide A cardenolide is a type of steroid. Many plants contain derivatives, collectively known as cardenolides, including many in the form of cardenolide glycosides (cardenolides that contain structural groups derived from sugars). Cardenolide glycoside ...

and

cardiac glycoside Cardiac glycosides are a class of organic compounds that increase the output force of the heart and decrease its rate of contractions by inhibiting the cellular sodium-potassium ATPase pump. Their beneficial medical uses are as treatments for co ...

toxin that blocks the calcium ion channels in

heart muscle Cardiac muscle (also called heart muscle, myocardium, cardiomyocytes and cardiac myocytes) is one of three types of vertebrate muscle tissues, with the other two being skeletal muscle and smooth muscle. It is an involuntary, striated muscle tha ...

, causing disruption of the heart beat, most often fatally. The most common symptom of toxicity in humans was noted to be vomiting. Electrocardiographic abnormalities were noted to be common, the most common being

sinus bradycardia Sinus bradycardia is a sinus node dysfunction giving a heart rate that is lower than the normal 60–100 beats per minute (bpm) in humans. Bradycardia is generally defined to be a heart rate of under 60 bpm. Signs and symptoms The decreased hear ...

. Around half of the patients develop thrombocytopenia. Temporary cardiac pacing has been used in the management, apart from other supportive measures. The difficulty in detecting cerberin in

autopsies An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any d ...

and the ability of strong

spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...

s to mask its taste makes it an agent of

homicide Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...

and

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

; there were more than 500 cases of fatal ''Cerbera'' poisoning between 1989 and 1999 in the southern Indian state of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

. A fatal dose of the poison is contained in one kernel, leading to death within 1–2 days. Common symptoms include: *burning sensation in mouth *violent vomiting *irregular respiration *headache *irregular heartbeat *coma and eventual death

Uses

The fruits are used for manufacturing bioinsecticides and deodorants. Investigations have also been made into the feasibility of using the seeds as a feedstock in the production of

biodiesel Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made by chemically reacting lipids such as animal fat (tallow), soybean oil, or some other vegetable oil with ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q191514 odollam Flora of tropical Asia Decorative fruits and seeds Poisonous plants

Common names

Description

Toxicity

Uses

See also

References