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Gloriosa superba
Gloriosa superba
Traditional African and Indian medicine for gout and pain in tiny doses
Gloriosa superba contains colchicine, which acts by binding to tubulin and inhibiting microtubule polymerization. This mechanism prevents neutrophil migration into inflamed tissues, reducing the inflammatory response associated with gout. While traditional use exists (Evidence Level C), the therapeutic mechanism is primarily attributed to its colchicine content, which is isolated for pharmaceutical use. Because it disrupts cell division (mitosis), the plant is highly toxic and is currently researched for anticancer applications rather than raw consumption.
Is Gloriosa superba safe to use during pregnancy?
No, Gloriosa superba is strictly unsafe during pregnancy. The plant contains colchicine and other cytotoxic alkaloids that can cross the placenta, causing fetal harm or death. These compounds disrupt cell division, posing a severe risk of teratogenic effects and miscarriage. Due to its high toxicity and potential for maternal fatality, it is contraindicated for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children. Pharmaceutical derivatives require strict medical supervision.
What is a safe dosage of Gloriosa superba for home use?
There is no safe dosage for the raw Gloriosa superba plant for home use; ingestion can be fatal. Medicinal use relies on standardized pharmaceutical extraction of colchicine, where dosages are carefully calculated in milligrams. Traditional systems used minute, non-standardized doses for gout (Evidence Level C), but the margin between a therapeutic and toxic dose is extremely narrow. Self-administration of the raw herb is strongly contraindicated due to the risk of bone marrow failure and death.
Does Gloriosa superba interact with prescription medications?
Yes, Gloriosa superba poses serious interaction risks due to its colchicine content. Consuming the raw plant with CYP3A4 inhibitors (like clarithromycin or ketoconazole) or P-glycoprotein inhibitors can lead to fatal colchicine toxicity. It should not be combined with other myotoxic drugs. Because the plant contains unpredictable amounts of toxic alkaloids, professional pharmaceutical management is required rather than raw herbal preparation to avoid life-threatening drug interactions.
Why is Gloriosa superba considered a poisonous plant?
Gloriosa superba is poisonous because it contains high levels of toxic alkaloids, primarily colchicine and gloriosine. These compounds inhibit cell division (mitosis) in the body, leading to multi-organ failure. Ingestion of any part of the plant, especially the tubers, can cause severe symptoms including vomiting, bone marrow suppression, and cardiac arrest. The lethal dose is very small, making it one of the most dangerous plants used in traditional medicine (Evidence Level C).
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
Gloriosa superba is a perennial climbing plant containing the bioactive alkaloid colchicine, used both as a pharmaceutical source and in traditional medicine [PMID:28399663, PMID:35941253].
Background
Also known as the "gloriosa lily," "glory lily," or "tiger claw," Gloriosa superba is a perennial climber in the Liliaceae family found in tropical regions of Africa and South Asia [PMID:35941253, PMID:41306838].
Traditional uses
In African and Southeast Asian cultures, it is used as an ayurvedic medicinal herb to treat arthritis, gout, rheumatism, inflammation, ulcers, bleeding piles, skin diseases, leprosy, impotency, and snakebites [PMID:21059382, PMID:35941253].
Active compounds
The primary bioactive component is colchicine [PMID:35941253]. Other isolated compounds include gloriosine, colchicoside, superbine, lumicolchicine, 3-demethyl-N-deformyl-N-deacetylcolchicine, 3-demethylcolchicine, N-formyl deacetylcolchicine, and a new cytotoxic colchinoid named glorigerine [PMID:21059382, PMID:36533687].
Mechanism of action
Colchicine binds to tubulin dimers and inhibits microtubule assembly, acting as a mitotic poison and providing anti-inflammatory effects [PMID:34780686]. Gloriosine is suggested to have similar microtubule-targeting properties, binding to the colchicine binding site (CBS) of beta-tubulin [PMID:36964265].
Clinical evidence
Evidence CGout and Inflammatory Disorders
Colchicine, sourced from G. superba, is an FDA-approved treatment for inflammatory disorders including gouty arthritis and familial Mediterranean fever [PMID:34780686, PMID:28713407].
Evidence DCancer
Colchicine has antimitotic activity that prevents the growth of cancer cells [PMID:23210778]. Gloriosine showed significant antiproliferative activity against various human cancer cell lines with IC50 values from 32.61 to 100.28 nM [PMID:36033689]. Chitosan-encapsulated G. superba nanoparticles suppressed cervical cancer in HeLa cell lines by inhibiting the SKA3-mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway [PMID:40642599].
Evidence DPancreatic Adenocarcinoma
In a murine model, coadministration of G. superba extract improved the in vivo antitumoural activity of gemcitabine [PMID:27765363].
Safety & adverse effects
The plant is poisonous due to high colchicine concentrations [PMID:27324655]. Acute poisoning manifests within hours as vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, potentially progressing to bone marrow suppression, multi-organ failure, rhabdomyolysis, and disseminated intravascular coagulation [PMID:41306838, PMID:27049658]. A delayed effect of poisoning is dystrophic anagen effluvium (massive hair loss) occurring weeks after acute symptoms [PMID:41306838, PMID:26060369]. Case fatality for self-poisoning in one study was 10% [PMID:30888889].
Evidence summary
Evidence consists primarily of pharmacological reviews, in vitro studies, animal models, and clinical case reports of poisoning; there are no high-level human clinical trials provided for the whole herb.
PubMed sources
1.PMID: 28399663 (2018) — Upstream biomanufacturing of pharmaceutical colchicine. · Critical reviews in biotechnology
2.PMID: 41306838 (2025) — Gloriosa superba Poisoning-induced Anagen Effluvium. · International journal of trichology
3.PMID: 35941253 (2022) — In vitro propagation and secondary metabolite production in Gloriosa superba L. · Applied microbiology and biotechnology
4.PMID: 28713407 (2017) — Biorhizome: A Biosynthetic Platform for Colchicine Biomanufacturing. · Frontiers in plant science
5.PMID: 32699417 (2020) — Discovery and engineering of colchicine alkaloid biosynthesis. · Nature
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.
10.PMID: 36533687 (2023) — Isolation of a new cytotoxic colchinoid from Gloriosa superba roots. · Natural product research
11.PMID: 40642599 (2025) — Chitosan-encapsulated Gloriosa superba nanoparticles suppress cervical cancer by inhibiting SKA3-mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. · Cytotechnology
12.PMID: 27324655 (2016) — Case report: a rare case of attempted homicide with Gloriosa superba seeds. · BMC pharmacology & toxicology
13.PMID: 36964265 (2023) — Docking experiments suggest that gloriosine has microtubule-targeting properties similar to colchicine. · Scientific reports
14.PMID: 26060369 (2015) — Gloriosa superba ingestion: Hair loss and acute renal failure. · Indian journal of nephrology
15.PMID: 36033689 (2022) — Antiproliferative Potential of Gloriosine: A Lead for Anticancer Drug Development. · ACS omega
16.PMID: 27765363 (2016) — Coadministration of a Gloriosa superba extract improves the in vivo antitumoural activity of gemcitabine in a murine pancreatic tumour model. · Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
17.PMID: 30888889 (2019) — Epidemiology, toxicokinetics and biomarkers after self-poisoning with Gloriosa superba. · Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.)