Decoding the terrible toxicity of the 'suicide tree': The tree grows wild on the coast

The cause of the deaths of 3,000 people a year for many centuries ago, the Cerbera odollam tree was known to scientists as the "Suicide Tree".

Where does the "suicide tree" grow?

As documented by Sciencedirect, Cerbera odollam is a species of tree in the poison oleander family, which includes the common and golden oleander.

Cerbera odollam is also known by other names such as Pong-pong, Sea Pong Pong, Yellow-eyed Cerbera. This species is distributed mainly from India (growing wild along the coast) to the Pacific Ocean. Habitat is mainly on land (coastal forest), coastal (mangrove forest, back beach, sandy beach).

Cerbera odollam is a medium-sized tree, up to 12m tall, with a round, dense trunk. The white flowers stand out with five petals, typical of the oleander family. The flowers have a yellow "eye" in the center and are fragrant.

Fruit and flowers of the plant Cerbera odollam.

Its fruit is round, apple-like, containing a large poisonous seed, surrounded by a thick fibrous skin and outer pulp. The fruit of this plant changes from green to burgundy to dark brown, before falling from the tree. Floating shells help the fruit float on the water. The thin pulp is eaten by some birds.

Because of its dense, round or elliptical foliage, Cerbera odollam was formerly widely used in Singapore as a shade tree, but has been phased out due to strong roots and heavy fruit drop. Today, it can be found in parks and gardens as an ornamental plant.

The scary toxicity of the "suicide plant"

The seeds of Cerbera odollam are said to have been used in more suicides and murders than any other poisonous plant.

As noted above, the toxicity of the Cerbera odollam plant resides in its seeds (in the fruit). Cerbera odollam seeds contain a potent toxin called cerberin, which causes cardiac arrest. Cerberin is the main active cardenolide, which has the ability to disrupt the function of the heart muscle, leading to an irregular heartbeat, which can be fatal if enough cerberin is consumed.

Inside this rough shell is the cardiac arrest poison of Cerbera odollam.

They have been used to kill people or commit suicide in India (hence the name Indian Suicide Tree in India).

As a result, the Cerbera odollam plant is responsible for about 50% of the botulism cases and 10% of the total poisoning cases in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Specifically, between 1989 and 1999, Cerbera odollam caused the deaths of more than 500 people in the state of Kerala alone.

Symptoms of Cerbera odollam poisoning include a burning sensation in the mouth, vomiting, headache, irregular heartbeat and breathing. It can even lead to coma and, as noted above, death. It is worth mentioning that this toxin has no antidote!

In 19th century Madagascar, where this poisonous plant was also found, thousands of people a year died after consuming poisonous seeds in a 'trial by trial' that was supposed to determine if they were guilty of witchcraft. other crimes or not.

And a 2004 study found that it was responsible for about one death per week in Kerala (India), mostly suicide.

Researchers believe more people have taken their own lives by using Cerbera odollam than any other poisonous plant in the world.

In fact, women are more victims of 'suicide plants' than men, according to 2004 research on this toxic plant. Toxicologists told AFP that between 70 and 75 percent of those who use fruit to commit suicide are women, raising questions about what kinds of pressures women face that can drive them to make choices choose such despair.

Poisonous but still useful

Toxic extracts of this plant are used to produce biocides.

Because of its strong toxicity, the Cerbera odollam plant is overlooked by Western doctors, chemists, analysts, and even coroners and forensic toxicologists.

However, according to scientists, objectively speaking, the Cerbera odollam plant is not without its uses.

The toxin could be extracted to produce biocides (such as biopesticides, insect repellents and rodenticides), deodorants, and potentially raw materials, scientists say. for use in biodiesel production. The bark, leaves and seed oil are used in traditional folk medicine.

So, despite being one of the most poisonous plants in the world, the suicide tree has more or less some benefits for us.