Strychnos angustiflora 牛眼馬錢

POISONOUS PARTS

Whole plant.³

TOXICITY

• Toxic Constituents

  Strychnine and brucine.³

• Toxic Dose

  5 mg of strychnine. Reported lethal dose: 15 mg of strychnine.⁴

• Mechanism

  Strychnine is a glycine receptor antagonist. It prevents hyperpolarization and results in hyperexcitability of spinal neurons. This leads to spastic muscle contractions, asphyxiation and death.⁴

• Poisoning Features

  Opisthotonos, respiratory paralysis, hyperthermia, rhabdomyolysis, lactic acidosis, renal failure and even death.^4,5

CLINICAL MANAGEMENT

Supportive treatment.

IDENTIFICATION FEATURES

Lianas, up to 10 m long. Branchlets with axillary tendrils, older branches with axillary thorns. Leaves opposite, leathery; leaf blades 3–8 × 2–4 cm, with 3–5 basal veins. Thyrses terminal, 2–4 cm long; flowers 0.8–1.1 cm long. Corolla white, salverform; lobes nearly as long as tube; filaments longer than anthers. Berries 2–4 cm in diameter, orange when ripe. Seeds 1–1.8 cm in diameter, flat, pale yellowish grey, with very fine sericeous hairs.⁶

MEDICINAL USES

Highly toxic; use with caution. Seeds used in TCM: unblock the meridians and activate collaterals, resolve swelling and relieve pain. Recommended dose: 0.5–1 g.⁷

LABORATORY ANALYSIS

Strychnine and brucine can be detected by HPLC-DAD, GC-MS and LC-MS/MS.^8–10