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STRYCHNINE TREE Strychnos nux-vomica

Loganiaceae

San: Karaskara; Hin: Kajra, Kuchila; Mal: Kanjiram; ; Tam: Itti, Kagodi,

Kanjirai Mar:Jharkhatchura; Kan: Hemmushti, Ittangi; Tel: Mushti, Mushidi; Ori:

Kora, Kachila

Importance
It is a large deciduous tree, with simple leaves and white fragrant flowers.
Strychnos is highly toxic to man and animals producing stiffness of muscles and convulsions,
ultimately leading to death. However, in small doses it can also serve as efficacious cure
forms of paralysis and other nervous disorders. The seeds are used as a remedy in
intermittent fever, dyspepsia, chronic dysentery, paralytic and neuralgic affections, worms,
epilepsy, chronic rheumatism, insomnia and colic. It is also useful in impotence, neuralgia of
face, heart disease, spermatorrhoea, skin diseases, toxins, wounds, emaciation, cough and
cholera. Leaves are applied as poultice in the treatment of chronic wounds and ulcers and the
leaf decoction is useful in paralytic complaints. Root and root bark used in fever and
dysentery (Nadkarni, 1982; Kurup et al, 1979).

Distribution

The plant is distributed throughout India in deciduous forests up to 1200m. It is also

found in Sri Lanka, Siam, Indochina and Malaysia.

Botany

Strychnos nux-vomica Linn. is a large tree belonging to the family Loganiaceae. Leaves

are simple, opposite, orbicular to ovate, 6-11.5x6-9.5cm, coriaceous, glabrous, 5 nerved,

apex obtuse, acute or apiculate, transverse nerves irregular and inconspicuous. Inflorescence

is many flowered terminal cymes, 2.5-5cm across. Bracts (5mm) and bracteoles (1.5mm)

small. Flowers are white or greenish white and fragrant. Calyx 5 lobed, pubescent and small

(2mm). Corolla salver shaped, tube cylindrical slightly hairy near the base within and

greenish white, tube much elongate than the lobes. Tube 7mm and lobes 2.5mm long. Lobes 5

and valvate. Stamens 5, filaments short, 0.1mm long. Anthers 1.5mm subexerted, linear

oblong. Ovary 1.5 mm, pubescent, 2 celled, ovules one to many. Style 9mm, stigma capitate.

Fruit is a berry, 5-6cm diameter, globose, indehiscent, thick shelled, orange red when ripe

with fleshy pulp enclosing the seeds. Seeds 1-many, discoid, compressed, coin like, concave

on one side and convex on the other, covered with fine grey silky hairs.

The leaf fall is during December (do not shed all the leaves at a time) and new

foliage appears in February. Flowering is during March - April and fruiting during May -

December. Fruits take about 8-9 months to mature.

Properties and Activity

Strychnine and brucine are the most important and toxic alkaloids present in

the plant. They occur not only in the seeds but also in roots, wood, bark, fruit pulp and hard

fruit shells. The minor alkaloids present in the plant are vomicine, α-colubrine, β-colubrine,

pseudostrychnine and N-methyl-sec-pseudobrucine (novacine). Loganin a glycoside is also

present (Warnat, 1932; Martin et al, 1953; Guggisberg et al, 1966; Bisset and Chaudhary,

1974). Chatterji and Basa (1967) reported vomicine as the major constituent alkaloid along

with unidentified alkaloid in leaves and identified another alkaloid kajine (N-methyl

pseudostrychnine) from the leaves of very young plants.

Root bark of S. nux-vomica yeilded 4-hydroxy- 3 - methoxy strychnine, 4

hydroxy strychine, nor-macusine, a new alkaloid 12β, 13α dihydro- 12 α-hydroxy

isostrychnine named protostrychnine (Baser et al, 1979) methoxy strychnine, and mavacurine

(Guggisberg et al, 1966). Leaves and root bark also yeilded 11 new alkaloids. 10-hydroxy

strychnine, 3- 12 - dihydroxystrychnine, 12-hydroxy– 11 - methoxy strychnine, 3- 12 - dihydroxy-