Erythrina corallodendron 龍牙花

POISONOUS PARTS

Bark and seeds.^3,4

TOXICITY

• Toxic Constituents

  Erythrina alkaloids such as hypaphorine.^3–5

• Mechanism

  Erythrina alkaloids are antagonists to nicotinic cholinergic receptors, causing paralysis by blocking nerve transmission to muscles.^5,6

• Poisoning Features

  Paralysis, drowsiness, hypotension and respiratory depression .^3,5,7

CLINICAL MANAGEMENT

Supportive treatment.

IDENTIFICATION FEATURES

Shrubs or small trees, 3–5 m tall. Stems and branches prickly. Leaves trifoliolate; leaflets 5–10 × 3.5–7 cm, apex caudate. Racemes axillary, up to 30 cm long. Flowers 2–3 in clusters, calyx campanulate. Corolla deep red; vexillum about 4.2 cm long, apex emarginate; wings about 1.4 cm long; keel about 2.2 cm long. Pods about 10 cm long, apex beaked. Seeds deep red, often with one black spot.⁸

MEDICINAL USES

Bark used in TCM: soothe the liver to move qi, relieve pain. Recommended dose: 9–18 g.⁹

LABORATORY ANALYSIS

Hypaphorine can be detected by LC-MS/MS.¹⁰