Oxalis corniculata 酢漿草

POISONOUS PARTS

Whole plant.³

TOXICITY

• Toxic Constituents

  Oxalate.⁴

• Toxic Dose

  Reported lethal dose: 10 g of oxalate (about 83 g of dried plant).^4,5

• Mechanism

  Formation of calcium oxalate crystals in renal tubules occurs with excessive consumption of oxalate, resulting in acute tubular necrosis.^6,7

• Poisoning Features

  Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, gastrointestinal bleeding, epigastric pain and renal impairment.^8,9

CLINICAL MANAGEMENT

Supportive treatment.

IDENTIFICATION FEATURES

Perennial herbs, 10–20 cm or longer, sparsely pubescent throughout. Stems prostrate or ascending. Leaves alternate, digitate-trifoliolate; leaflets 5–17 × 6–18 mm. Umbels axillary, 2–6 flowered. Pedicels 5–10 mm long, lengthening to 10–15 mm in fruit. Flowers about 1.2 cm in diameter. Petals yellow, 6–7 × 3.5–3.8 mm. Capsules 1.5–2 cm long, 5-angled, pubescent. Seeds 1–1.5 mm long, brown.¹⁰

MEDICINAL USES

Whole plant used in TCM: cool blood and dissipate stasis, clear heat and drain dampness, disperse swelling and remove toxin. Recommended dose: 9–15 g.^2,11

LABORATORY ANALYSIS

Oxalate can be detected by HPLC-DAD and GC-MS.^12,13