This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before using herbs, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have a medical condition.
Danger — do not use this plant
Seeds contain abrin — one of the most toxic substances known. Ingestion can be fatal. Not an herbal medicine.
Affected parts: seeds (whole plant is hazardous). If exposed: Poison Control / 911.
The root contains flavonoids, alkaloids, and abruslactone that may provide anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects, traditionally used for cough and fever relief. The seeds contain abrin, an extremely toxic protein that inhibits protein synthesis by inactivating ribosomes at the cellular level. This mechanism causes severe cellular damage and is responsible for the lethal toxicity of seeds. Evidence level: C for root benefits; well-established for seed toxicity.
Does Abrus precatorius interact with any medications?
No specific clinical drug interaction studies exist for Abrus precatorius root preparations (Evidence level: C). Due to limited safety data, caution is advised when combining with immunosuppressants, anticoagulants, or hepatically-metabolized medications. The toxic seeds should never be used internally under any circumstances. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before combining any Abrus preparations with prescription medications.
What is the correct dosage for Abrus precatorius root?
Traditional use involves only the root, prepared as a decoction at 3-5 grams daily for cough and fever (Evidence level: C/Traditional). Seeds must never be consumed internally due to potentially lethal abrin content. External application of root preparations for skin conditions follows traditional protocols. Professional guidance is essential given the plant's toxic components and narrow safety margin.
Is Abrus precatorius safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding?
Abrus precatorius is contraindicated during pregnancy and breastfeeding (Evidence level: C). The plant contains abrin and other compounds that may cause uterine contractions or fetal harm. Seeds are extremely toxic and potentially lethal to both mother and fetus. Root preparations also carry risks due to insufficient safety data. Pregnant and nursing individuals should avoid all parts of this plant entirely.
Are Abrus precatorius seeds poisonous to humans?
Yes, Abrus precatorius seeds are extremely poisonous and potentially lethal. They contain abrin, one of the most toxic plant proteins known, which inhibits protein synthesis and causes fatal organ damage even in tiny amounts. Ingesting one crushed seed can be deadly. Symptoms include severe gastrointestinal distress, organ failure, and death. Seeds must never be used internally under any circumstances (Evidence level: A for toxicity).
PubMed-compiled information sheet
This sheet was compiled from PubMed (NIH) abstracts using AI assistance. Every factual claim is cited to a real PubMed article (see the source list). It has not yet been human-reviewed — confirm with a healthcare provider before use.
Compiled from 30 PubMed articles · model: gemma4:31b
Summary
Abrus precatorius, also known as the jequirity bean or rosary pea, is a plant containing the highly toxic protein abrin [PMID:15181663, PMID:32349421]. While it has traditional medicinal uses, it is recognized as a significant biological threat agent due to its extreme lethality [PMID:32349421, PMID:37459705].
Background
Abrus precatorius is an herbaceous, flowering plant widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly in India [PMID:25183095, PMID:38513827]. It is commonly referred to as Gunja, Jequirity, or the rosary pea [PMID:25183095, PMID:32349421].
Traditional uses
It is used in folk medicine for ailments including bronchitis, jaundice, hepatitis, contraception, tumors, abortion, and malaria [PMID:35714881]. In China, the leaves are served as tea, and in India, the roots are used as a substitute for Glycyrrhiza uralensis or for glycyrrhizin extraction [PMID:35714881].
Active compounds
The plant contains abrin (a toxalbumin/lectin), Abrus precatorius agglutinin, flavonoids, triterpene glycosides, alkaloids, phenols, and isoflavan quinones (such as abruquinones B, I, J, K, and L) [PMID:25183095, PMID:33919561, PMID:36959155, PMID:24382449]. Specific compounds include lupenone, 24-methylenecycloartenone, luteolin, abrusogenin, cirsimaritin, and hispidulin [PMID:25089582, PMID:39530083].
Mechanism of action
Abrin acts as a type 2 ribosome inactivating protein that irreversibly binds to the 60-s ribosomal subunit, thereby inhibiting protein synthesis and causing cell death [PMID:15181663, PMID:31456429, PMID:29438273]. This leads to endothelial cell damage, increased capillary permeability, and subsequent tissue oedema [PMID:15181663].
Clinical evidence
Evidence DDiabetes/Hyperglycaemia
Leaf extract significantly increased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes in vitro [PMID:38490239]
Evidence DArthritis
Macerated oil from aerial parts showed antioxidant and anti-arthritic potential in vitro [PMID:38817355]
Evidence DTrypanosomiasis
Abruquinones B and I demonstrated potent in vitro trypanocidal activity [PMID:24382449]
Evidence DBreast Cancer
In silico analysis suggests leaf phytochemicals may cause apoptosis in various cancer types [PMID:39323672]
Evidence DSchistosomiasis
In silico screening identified abrusogenin, cirsimaritin, and hispidulin as potential inhibitors of SmPNP [PMID:39530083]
Evidence DParkinson's Disease
In silico docking of seed terpenoids showed binding affinities against alpha-synuclein, COMT, and MAO-B [PMID:34707350]
Safety & adverse effects
Abrin is highly toxic with an estimated human fatal dose of 0.1-1 microgram/kg [PMID:15181663]. Ingestion of seeds causes severe gastrointestinal symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, hematemesis, and hematochezia [PMID:31456429, PMID:37273369]. Severe poisoning can lead to pulmonary oedema, hypertension [PMID:11736775], multi-organ failure [PMID:32475191], and neurological complications such as acute demyelinating encephalitis or acute disseminated encephalomyelitis [PMID:17357388, PMID:31249468]. A retrospective study of 112 patients reported a mortality rate of 5.35% [PMID:28515607].
Evidence summary
The evidence is primarily composed of case reports of toxicity (B/D), in vitro studies (D), and in silico modeling (D). There are no RCTs or systematic reviews supporting therapeutic efficacy; most high-level data focuses on the toxin's lethality and forensic detection.
4.PMID: 25183095 (2014) — Ethno botanical and Phytophrmacological potential of Abrus precatorius L.: A review. · Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine
5.PMID: 31456429 (2020) — Massive fatal overdose of abrin with progressive encephalopathy. · Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)
6.
Government sources
No direct government monograph is available for this herb. The content below is AI-generated and has not been verified against an authoritative government source. Use the search links to check official sources before relying on this information.
PMID: 35714881 (2022) — The traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Abrus precatorius L.: A comprehensive review. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
7.PMID: 11736775 (2001) — Poisoning due to Abrus precatorius (jequirity bean). · Anaesthesia
8.PMID: 39323672 (2024) — In Silico Analysis of Bioactive Compounds from Leaves of Abrus precatorius L. (Rosary Pea) Against Breast Cancer. · Cureus
10.PMID: 17357388 (2007) — Acute demyelinating encephalitis after jequirity pea ingestion (Abrus precatorius). · Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)
11.PMID: 36959155 (2023) — LCMS Determination and Cytotoxicity of Abrus precatorius on L6 and SK-N-MC Cell Lines. · Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry
12.PMID: 39530083 (2024) — Computer-Aided Discovery of Abrus precatorius Compounds With Anti-Schistosomal Potential. · Biomedical engineering and computational biology
13.PMID: 33919561 (2021) — Differentiation, Quantification and Identification of Abrin and Abrus precatorius Agglutinin. · Toxins
19.PMID: 31249468 (2019) — Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis due to abrus precatorius poisoning - A case report. · Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society
20.PMID: 34707350 (2021) — Identification of Terpenoids From Abrus precatorius Against Parkinson's Disease Proteins Using In Silico Approach. · Bioinformatics and biology insights
21.PMID: 29495560 (2018) — Proteomic Methods of Detection and Quantification of Protein Toxins. · Toxins
22.PMID: 29027937 (2017) — Abrin Toxicity and Bioavailability after Temperature and pH Treatment. · Toxins
23.PMID: 38513827 (2024) — Gaps in forensic toxicological analysis: The veiled abrin. · Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology
24.PMID: 28515607 (2017) — Abrus precatorius Poisoning: A Retrospective Study of 112 Patients. · Indian journal of critical care medicine : peer-reviewed, official publication of Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine
26.PMID: 21705837 (2011) — Immunomodulatory activity of the aqueous extract of seeds of Abrus precatorius Linn (Jequirity) in mice. · Iranian journal of immunology : IJI
27.PMID: 25089582 (2014) — α-Amylase inhibitory triterpene from Abrus precatorius leaves. · Journal of agricultural and food chemistry