This document describes the poisonous plant Cerbera thevetia. It is native to Central and Southern Mexico. All parts of the plant are poisonous, containing cardiac glycosides like thevetin that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, fainting, and death from heart failure within 2-3 hours of ingestion. The seeds are sometimes used for suicide, homicide, or to poison cattle. Treatment involves washing out the stomach, administering sodium lactate, atropine, adrenaline, and antiarrhythmic drugs.

1. CERBERA THEVETIA
ANAKHA RAJENDRAN
ROLL NO:23

2. • CERBERA THEVETIA IS A POISONOUS PLANT NATIVE TO CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN MEXICO
• ALL PARTS OF THE PLANT ARE POISONOUS
• THE FLOWERS ARE LARGE,BELL SHAPED AND YELLOW,SPIRALLY
TWISTED LOBES AND SPREADING
• LEAVES ARE LANCEOLATE SHAPED
• FRUIT IS GLOBULAR LIGHT GREEN,CONTAINS A SINGLE NUT WHICH IS
TRIANGULAR WITH 4 CHAMBERS EACH ENCLOSING A PALE YELLOW SEED
WITH A DEEP GROOVE ALONG THE EDGE
• SEEDS CONTAIN 4% OF CARDIAC GLYCOSIDE ‘THEVETIN’
• MILKY JUICE EXUDES FROM ALL PARTS OF THE PLANT

4. ACTIVE PRINCIPLES
• THEVETIN
• THEVETOXIN
• CERBERIN
• NERIFOLIN
• PERUVOSIDE
• RUVOSIDE

5. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
• SAP OF THE PLANT MAY CAUSE INFLAMMATION IN SENSITIVE INDIVIDUALS
• CHEWING THE BARK OR SEED KERNEL CAUSES A SLIGHT NUMBING
SENSATION AND FEELING OF HEAT IN THE MOUTH AND PURGING
• INGESTION CAUSES BURNING PAIN IN THE MOUTH,DRYNESS OF
THROAT,TINGLING AND NUMBNESS OF
TONGUE,VOMITING,DIARRHOEA,HEADACHE
• GIDDINESS,DILATED PUPILS,LOSS OF MUSCULAR POWER AND FAINTING
• PULSE IS RAPID,WEAK AND IRREGULAR
• BLOOD PRESSURE LOW
• HEART BLOCK,COLLAPSE AND DEATH FROM PERIPHERAL CIRCULATORY
FAILURE OCCURS

6. • FATAL DOSE
8-10 SEEDS:15-20 g ROOT:5-10 LEAVES
• FATAL PERIOD
2-3 HOURS

7. POST MORTEM APPEARANCES
• STOMACH AND DUODENUM MAY BE CONGESTED AND SHOWS
FRAGMENTS OF SEEDS

8. TREATMENT
• WASH OUT THE STOMACH
• SODIUM MOLAR LACTATE TRANSFUSION WITH GLUCOSE AND 1mg
ATROPINE,2ml ADRENALINE AND 2mg NORADRENALINE IS BENEFICIAL
• ACTIVATED CHARCOAL
• ANTI ARRHYTHMIC DRUGS ARE INDICATED IN THE PRESENCE OF
ARRHYTHMIAS
• SYMPTOMATIC TREATMENT

9. CIRCUMSTANCES OF POISONING
• ROOT AND SEEDS ARE USED FOR SUICIDE AND HOMICIDE
• ROOT AND SEEDS ARE USED FOR CRIMINAL ABORTION
• CATTLE POISONING:SEEDS ARE CRUSHED AND FED TO THE ANIMAL WITH
CORN OR BREAD

10. PRESERVATION OF VISCERA
THE USUAL VISCERA TAKEN FOR CHEMICAL ANALYSIS:
• STOMACH WITH CONTENTS AND 30cm OF UPPER INTESTINE IN ONE
BOTTLE
• 500gm OF LIVER AND HALF OF EACH KIDNEY IN THE SECOND BOTTLE
• 30ml OF BLOOD
• 30ml OF URINE
• A SAMPLE OF THE PRESERVATIVE SHOULD BE TAKEN IN ANOTHER
BOTTLE
• RECTIFIED SPIRIT IS A GOOD PRESERVATIVE IN CASE OF PLANT
POISONING SINCE PLANT POISONS ARE GLYCOSIDES AND ALKALOIDS
WHICH REACT WITH SODIUM CHLORIDE

11. THANK
YOU