Botany
· Slender, twining,
branched, annual vine that grows up to 9 m long.
· Leaves: alternate, from 5 to 10 cm long and compounded into
pinnate arrangement. About 20 to 40 leaflets to each leaf; each leaflet
oblong, rather thin, from 1 to 3 cm long and with an abrupt terminal
point.
· Flowers: pink to purple or salmon in color, attaining 1 cm
in length. Calyx teeth short and standard petal ovate, the wings narrow,
and the keel arched. Only 9 stamens, the filaments of which united into
a tube with a slit above. Ovary with many ovules with a short style.
Inflorescence an axillary raceme, shorter than the leaves with numerous
crowded flowers.
· Fruits: pods, oblong and turgid, 2.5 to 5 cm long and about
1.5 cm wide. Seeds 3-5 in a pod and round and shiny, half-red and half-black.
Color of seeds the most recognizable characteristic of this species.
Distribution
Common in thickets throughout
the Philippines, at low and medium altitudes.
Cultivation, propagated by seeds.
Parts
used
Roots and seeds.
Harvest seeds from November to April. Harvest roots the whole year round.
Section roots into slices and sun-dry.
Characteristics
and Pharmacological Effects:
Roots are sweet-tasting,
neutral in effect, and antipyretic.
Seeds are exceedingly toxic (not to be taken internally).
Study yielded Abrin A from the seeds, and similar to Abrin protein and
abrin C, is toxic to cell-free protein synthesis.
Insecticide, disinfectant and suppurative.
Considered antiinflammatory.
Uses
Folkloric
· Swelling
pains in the throat: 6-9 gms dried roots in decoction.
· Scabies and carbuncles: pulverized dried seeds are rubbed on
afflicted area.
· The roots may be administered as a cooling tea.
· Others: Decorative, the seeds are gathered and strung into
various fancy articles.
• In India, traditional
use for cancer, ulcers and fever.
Toxicity !
• Seeds are exceedingly toxic (not to be taken internally).
• Toxicity case report after ingestion of 3-4 seeds of AP causing
acute demyelinating encephalitis, coma and death. source
• Study yielded Abrin A from the seeds, and similar to Abrin protein
and abrin C, is toxic to cell-free protein synthesis. source
• Kansasaga
beans are extremely toxic, containing various types of toxic albumins.
Symptoms of poisoning include diarrhea, vomiting, debility, stoppage
of urine, hallucinations, etc. Observe extreme care in administering.
Studies
• Renal
Protective: Study
of seed extract of AP on alcohol-induced renal damage in rats concludes
that the seed extract is protective on the kidney against alcohol-induced
parenchymal damage.
• Hypoglycemic
/ Hypolipidemic:
Study on the aequous seed extract of AP showed strong hypoglycemic and
hypolipidemic effects with a reduction of atherogenic risk predictor
indices. The action of A precatorius was dose-dependent.
• Antifertility
/ Sperm antimotility :
(1) Extract study showed that AP possesses a reversible sperm antimotility
activity. (2) Methanol extract study of A precatorius seeds showed inhibitory effect on the motility of washed human spermatozoa. The effect of motility was essentially reversible.
• Antifertility
/ Ovulatory Blockage : Study of methanolic extract of Arbus precatorius seeds showed highly significant alterations in the pattern of estrous cycle, a significantly prolong diestrous plase, a significant decrease in the proestrous phase and a total blockage of ovulation in one group.
• Antiinflammatory
/ Antipyretic:
Extract study showed potent antiinflammatory, antiarthritic and antipyretic
activities.
• Toxicity:
A case report of acute demyelinating encephalitis and death after ingestion
of peas of AP. A possible immunologic pathogenic mechanism is hypothesized.
• Anthelmintic:
Anthelmintic study in Zimbabwe showed the extracts and root from Abrus
precatorius to be effective against tapeworms.
• Anti-Microbial: Extracts of A precatorius from leaves, stems and seed oil were tested against S aureus, S epidermis, E faecalis, Strep anginosus, B subtilis, Corynebacterium spp, E coli, K pneumonia, P mirabilis, P aeruginosa and C albicans. Results showed AP especially the seed oil has potent antimicrobial activity and subtantiates the ethnobotanical use of AP for various bacteria-related diseases. Staph aureus was the most sensitive organism and the topical application of AP extracts in ointments may be recommended for treating superficial Staph aureus infections.
• Immunomodulatory: Study showed Abrus agglutinin could be a potential immunomodulator both in native as well as in heat denatured form.
Toxicity Study
• Study of toxic effects of aqueous extract of A precatorius in white rats showed decreased in RBC, WBC, increased ALT and AST, testicular degeneration and sperm cell reduction. The results caution its use for medicinal purposes.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
|
