Vernicia montana 木油樹

POISONOUS PARTS

Leaves, fruits and seeds.³

TOXICITY

• Toxic Constituents

  Phorbol esters and unidentified toxins.^4,5

• Toxic Dose

  5 seeds can be toxic.⁶

• Mechanism

  Phorbol esters can irritate the gastrointestinal tract.^7,8

• Poisoning Features

  Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Dehydration and electrolyte disturbance in severe cases.^5,6

• Poisoning Events

  2 outbreaks of Vernicia species poisoning have been reported in Taiwan, with over 60 students ingesting 0.5 to 15 seeds due to misidentification as chestnuts. The patients experienced gastrointestinal disturbances and recovered uneventfully with supportive treatment.⁵

CLINICAL MANAGEMENT

Supportive treatment. Correction of fluid and electrolyte disturbances in patients with severe gastrointestinal symptoms.

IDENTIFICATION FEATURES

Evergreen trees, up to 20 m tall. Petioles 7–17 cm long, apex with 2 goblet glands; leaf blades 8–20 × 5–18 cm, not lobed or 2–5-lobed, often with glands at the sinus of blades. Corymbose panicles composed by cymes. Petals white or white with purple-red stripes at base, 2–3 cm long. Drupes 3–5 cm in diameter, 3-ribbed, with reticulate wrinkles. Seeds compressed-globose, verrucose.⁹

MEDICINAL USES

Seeds used in TCM: dispel wind-phlegm, disperse swelling and remove toxin, induce diuresis and relieve constipation. Recommended dose: 1–2 seeds.⁷

CASES IN TRL

In 2015, a man and 2 women, aged between 33 and 52, developed abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and burning sensation of the throat within an hour after consuming a few kernels from the wild fruits (photo A) collected from a tree by the hillside. They recovered uneventfully. The fruit specimen was subsequently identified as V. montana.¹⁰

LABORATORY ANALYSIS

Phorbol esters can be detected by LC-MS/MS.¹¹