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 Poisonous plant

Any plant, plant product or its derivatives which produce deleterious effects on human and other animals’ bodies or even cause their death when taken in relatively smaller quantities is called a poisonous plant. Poisonous plants, however, do not include those edible plants which are toxic in the fresh state but lose their toxicity on being dried or cooked. Plants may be poisonous to the touch (e.g., poison ivy, poison sumac), or orally toxic (e.g., poison hemlock, deadly amanita).  


Shialkanta(Argemone mexicana), Dhutra(Datura innoxia), Swarnalata(Cuscuta reflexa), etc. are the most common poisonous plants in our country.


Poison hemlock


Conium maculatum (Hemlock or Poison Hemlock) is a weed known almost worldwide for its toxicity to many domestic animals and to human beings
It contains the piperidine alkaloids coniine, N-methylconiine,  conhydrine,  and coniceine , which is the precursor of the other hemlock alkaloids.

Mechanism of toxicity: 
Coniine has a chemical structure and pharmacological properties similar to nicotine. 
Coniine disrupts the workings of the central nervous system
Due to high potency, the ingestion of seemingly small doses can easily result in respiratory collapse and death. 

Coniine causes death by blocking the neuromuscular junction, causing a muscular paralysis with eventual paralysis of the respiratory muscles which results in death due to lack of oxygen to the heart and brain. 

Water hemlock

Cicuta, commonly known as water hemlock, is a small genus of four species of highly poisonous plants in the family Apiaceae: Cicuta bulbifera, Cicuta douglasii, Cicuta maculata, Cicuta virosa.
All members of Cicuta except C. bulbifera contain high levels of the poisonous principle cicutoxin, an unsaturated aliphatic alcohol. 

Mechanism of toxicity:
Its primary toxic effect is to act as a stimulant in the central nervous system. It is a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, antagonist. 
Cicutoxin acts on the GABA receptor causing a block of the chloride channel which results in overactivity of the cells. 
The hyperactivity in brain cells results in seizures. 


Datura 

Datura is a genus of nine species of flowering plants belonging to the family  Solanaceae
All Datura plants contain tropane alkaloids such as scopolamine,  hyoscyamine, and atropine, primarily in their seeds and flowers
Mechanism of toxicity: 
Datura intoxication typically produces delirium,  hyperthermia,  tachycardia, bizarre, and violent behavior; and severe mydriasis with resultant painful photophobia that can last several days. Amnesia is another commonly reported effect.
The majority of those who use Datura find their experiences extremely unpleasant both mentally and often physically dangerous.

Derris

Derris is a climbing leguminous plant of Southeast Asia and the southwest Pacific islands, including New Guinea. 
Its roots contain rotenone, a strong insecticide, and fish poison

Mode of action of rotenone
Rotenone works by interfering with the electron transport chain in mitochondria. 
To be specific, it inhibits the transfer of electrons. 
At the end, cellular oxygen is reduced to the radical, creating a Reactive Oxygen Species, which can damage DNA and other components of the mitochondria.

Red squill

Drimia Maritima (red squill) is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae
The plant has been used as a poison and as a medicinal remedy. The main active compounds are cardiac glycosides, including unique bufadienolides such as glucoscillarene A, proscillaridine A, scillarene A, scilliglaucoside and scilliphaeoside.
 Scilliroside is the most important of the toxic compounds present in all parts of the plant
This is particularly used as rodenticide. It is of limited current use. When eaten, usually induces vomiting in dogs and cats. Large quantities are required for toxicity in farm animals. It is considered relatively safe, but dogs, cats, and pigs have been poisoned. Signs are vomiting, ataxia, and hyperesthesia followed by paralysis, depression, or convulsions.