Cerbera odollam

Cerbera odollam

1. Cerbera odollam Nur Fadzlina Zabri 082013100006 Cerbera odollam

2. Introduction About Mechanism of action Lethal dose Uses Signs and symptom Post mortem change Medicolegal importance Treatment

3. Cerbera odollam Known as suicide tree, pong pong , Othalanga Characteristic : Grows in coastal salt swamp and marshy area Common along coastal state in Kerala

4. Fruits - green, looks like mangoes - with green fibrous shell enclosing an ovoid kernel - On exposure to air, white kernel turns violet, then dark grey and later on black Yields a milky white latex

5. Toxicity Active principle : Cerberin Fatal dose : kernel of one fruit

6. Signs and symptom Burning sensation in mouth Dilated pupils Retching , nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain Drowsy and weak - may get into coma Hyperkalemia Arrhythmia Bradycardia (not even responding to atropine) Within 6 hours after the intake, death may occur

7. Uses Manufacturing bioinsecticides and deodorants Converting the seeds into  biodiesel   To stupefy fish Rat poisons Medicinal purposes – cold, scaabies , rheumatism, heart failure Purgatives and emetics

8. Medicolegal importance; Common method in suicide and homicide ( cerberin is diffficult to be detected in autopsies ) As part of ritual- trial of ordeal

9. Postmortem appearance Congested eyes Congested internal organ Congested and edematous lung Subepicardial , subendocardial and subpleural petechial hemorrhage Stomach mucosa being congested with haemorrhages and gastritis

10. Using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry To examine autopsy tissues for traces of the plant However, currently, it is being almost completely ignored by western physicians, chemists, analysts and even coroners and forensic toxicologists.

11. Treatment Stomac h wash Correction of bradyarrhythmia - Atropine 0.5mg iv Correct hyperkalemia Cardiac pacing Presence of hypotension, alteration of consciousness, bradyarrhythmias not responding to treatment , Hyperkalemia and significant ECG changes SEVERE POISONING Mortality rate is 30-40%

12. References Textbook of Forensic Medicine snd Toxicology , 15 th Edition by V V Pillay The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 27 th Edition 2008 by Dr KS Narayan Reddy http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerbera_odollam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerberin