1. Gunja and Jayapala are two toxic plants used in Ayurvedic medicine. Gunja's scientific name is Abrus precatorius and Jayapala is Croton tiglium. 2. Both plants contain toxic compounds - Gunja contains abrin and Jayapala contains crotin and crotonoside. Ingestion of either plant can cause gastrointestinal distress, circulatory collapse, and death. 3. Traditional Ayurvedic texts describe processing techniques to reduce toxicity, like steaming Gunja seeds. Properly processed, both plants are used to treat conditions like arthritis, cough, skin diseases, and more.

1. GUNJA & JAYAPALA
GUIDED BY-
DR. ADARSH
DR. SHIVANANDA
SUBMITTED BY:
VEERESH K S
3RD YEAR BAMS
GAMC MYSURU

2. GUNJA
 Botanical Name: Abrus precatorius.
 Family: Fabaceae
 Vernacular names-
Kannada- Gulaganji
English- Abrus
Telagu- Guruvinda
 Synonyms: Krushnala, Raktika, Tamrika.
Chudamani, Sheetapaki,
Rati, Shikandika.

3. MORPHOLOGY
 Distribution: All over India
 Abrus is a green, slender, climbing vine
bearing plant.

4. Flowers
Leaves
Pods

5. SEEDS:
 Each seed pot contains 3 to 5 seeds.
 Seeds are egg shaped with 5 mm in diameter
and having weight of 105 mg.
 Seed has an attractive hard glossy outer shell.
 Organic irritant plant poison.

6. TYPES: Shweta Gunja
Rakta Gunja Krsna Gunja

7. PROPERTIES OF GUNJA:
 Rasa- Tikta, Kashaya.
 Guna- Laghu, Sheeta and Rooksha.
 Veerya- Ushna
 Vipaka- Katu
 Karma Rogaghnata
Balya Daurbalya
Vrushya Shukravikara
Keshya Khalitya
Kushtaghna Kushta
Ruchikaraka Aruchi

8. Shodhana-
1. The Gunja seeds are crushed
Made in a pottali and swedana is done
for 3yama in godugda in Dola-yantra.
Shuddha Gunja
2. Same Procedure with Kanjika
Parts used-
Root, leaf, Seeds.
Seeds are the most toxic part.
Dosage-
Root and leaf powder- 1-3g
Seed Powder- half to one and half Gunja-
60-180 mg

9. INDICATIONS:
1. Urusthambha- thigh stiffness.
2. Amavata- Rheumatoid arthritis
3. Kasa- cough
4. Indralupta- alopecia areata
5. Graharoga- Psychological disorders
6. Kandu- itching
7. Kushta- Skin diseases
8. Krumi- Worm infestation
9. Mada- intoxication

10. FORMULATIONS
 Gunjabhadra Rasa
 Neelibringadi Taila
 Gunjagarbha Rasa
 Gunjajeevan Rasa
 Sarivadi Vati

11. MECHANISM OF ACTION:
 Abrin is a powerful gastrointestinal toxin.
One of its polypeptide chains binds to the intestinal cell membrane,
while the other chain enters the cytoplasm.
Once in the cell, the A chain acts on the 60S ribosomal subunit,
preventing binding of elongation factor 2
thus inhibiting protein synthesis and leading to cell demise.

12. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:
Symptoms may be delayed from a few hours to two or
three days when taken by mouth.
1. Delayed cytotoxic effects occur in the CNS, liver,
kidneys and adrenal glands 2 to 5 days after exposure.
2. Ingestion of seeds or extract can cause haemorrhagic
gastritis. There is fainting, vertigo, vomiting, dyspnoea,
and Convulsions may precede death from cardiac
failure and bloody diarrhoea.

13. FATAL PERIOD: 3TO5 DAYS
ACTIVE PRINCIPLE: Abrin
MANAGEMENT:
 Anti-abrin injection should be given.
 Urine should be maintained at alkaline
pH.
 Resuscitation and removal of
unabsorbed poison is done.
FATAL DOSE:
• 90-120mg, if injected.
• 1-2 crushed seed orally.

14. POSTMORTEM APPEARANCES:
External:
 Fragments of needles(Sui) may be found.
 Edema will be present at the site of injection.
Internal:
 Inflammation and congestion with erosion is seen in GIT and
other viscera. .

15. MEDICOLEGAL IMPORTANCE:
 Most of the cases are accidental ingestion of attractive seeds by children.
 Homicidal are by injecting needles.
 Suis are used for cattlepoisoning.
 Abrus can be used as arrow poison.

16. RESEARCH:
 Anticataractic and anti oxidant effects – The ethanolic seeds extract of Abrus precatorius protected
the lens against calcium-induced oxidative damage which might be helpful in delaying the progression
of cataract.

17. JAYAPALA
 Botanical name- Croton tiglium
 Family- Euphoriaceae
 Vernacular name- Hindi- Jamalgota.
Kannada- Japala
English- Croton
 Synonyms- Dantabeeja, Rechaka, Maladravi.
 Organic irritant vegetable poison.

18. MORPHOLOGY
Habit and Habitat-
 Medium sized tree upto.
20ft in height.
 Grows wild in hills and
forests.

19. Leaves
Flower
Fruit

20. Seeds-
 Seeds are oval or oval oblong in shape.
 They are odorless.
 They have dark brown or brownish-gray shell.

21. PROPERTIES OF JAYAPALA
 Rasa- Katu
 Guna- Guru, Rooksha, Tikshna.
 Virya- Ushna
 Vipaka- Katu
 Karma
× Rechana
× Kapha-pitta Shamaka
Active Principle: 2 active principles mainly Crotin(toxanamide) and
crotonoside(glycoside)

22. SHODANA
1. Jayapala beeja is taken in a vessel containing water and kept overnight to remove the cotyledon.
2. Its then taken in a clean cloth and made into pottali and swedana is done in dola yanthra with cow
milk for three hours.
3. Then it’s taken out and the beejankura is removed.
4. It’s then made into paste and applied over a mud pot.
5. Kept, till the oil oozes out and partially dries.
6. It’s then collected.
Parts Used- Seed and oil extracted from
the seed are extremely toxic.
Dosage:
Seed- 25 to 50 mg.
Seed oil- 1 to 2 drops.

23. INDICATIONS
1. Kasa
2. Shwasa
3. Garavisha
4. Kshataksheena
Purified seeds:
 Deepana – improves digestion strength
 kaphavataghna – Balance Kapha and Vata Dosha
 Rechana – induces purgation

24. FORMULATIONS
1. Icchabhedi rasa
2. Shula kutara rasa
3. Sleepadantaka gutika
4. Sarvanga sundara rasa
5. Yakritplihara lauham

25. MECHANISM OF ACTION
The toxalbumin present in the seeds is a toxic protien that disable
ribosomes and thereby inhibit protien synthesis. It is antigenic in
nature, it agglutinates red cells and causes hemolysis and cell
destruction.
Signs and Symptoms-
 On ingestion: There is hot burning pain from mouth to stomach,
Nausea, vomitting, purging, and bloody stools with griping pain
followed by tachycardia, vertigo, circulatory and respiratory
collapse and death.
 Applied to skin: croton oil produces burning sensation, redness and
vesication the vesicles may later suppurate and cause scaring.

26. FATAL PERIOD- 4TO5 HRS
Fatal Dose-
 Adults- 4 seeds- 15to30 drops
 Children- 1 seed- 3to4 drops of oil.
Management:
 Stomach wash.
 Administration of demulscent drinks, like milk,
or egg white.
 Morphine with atropine to allay pain and
reduce intestinal secretions.
 Glucose and saline are given IV to compact
collapse and dehydration.
 Borax is an antidote of croton seed poisoning.

27. POSTMORTEM CHANGES
 The mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines is usually found red, inflamed and excoriated at
places.
 Fragments of the seeds may be found in stomach and intestine.
 The spleen and liver gets congested.
 The kidneys may show cloudy swelling and congestion.
 Occasionally the post mortem findings are negative.

28. MEDICOLEGAL IMPORTANCE
 Accidental poisoning results from swallowing croton oil by mistake, or when taken in large doses as a
purgative or by inhailing their dust
 Suicide and Homicide is rare.
 Root and oil are taken internally as an abortificant.
 Oil is used as arrow poison.

29. RESEARCH:
 Anti-helminthic activity: The objective of the study was to test the anthelmintic activity of aqueous
and petroleum ether extracts of Croton tiglium seeds. The activity was checked in aqueous and
petroleum ether extracts at three different concentration (25, 50 and 75mg/ml) and results were
expressed in terms of paralysis time and death time for worms. The results were compared with
standard solution, Albendazole (20 mg/ml & 40mg/ml). Both the extract showed significant
anthelmintic activity.
 Gastro intestinal effect: Croton tiglium used as a cathartic in Ayurvedic system of indigenous
medicine, was investigated for its effects in experimental animals. The extract exhibited a dose
dependent cathartic effect in albino rats, the extract also showed an increase to gut movement with
an increased contractile movement on rabbit jejunum, partially blocked by atropine these preliminary
findings suggest that the ethanol extract of the croton dried nuts elicit a purgative effect by increasing
the gut motility, partially via muscarnic receptor activation.

30. REFERENCE:
 Dr. Jeena pattanaik-Agadatantra
 JLN Sastry-Dravya guna
 Internet website(easyayurveda. Com)