Precatory bean

Related Terms

2,3,6-Tri-O-methyl-D-glucose, 2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-D-mannose, 3-O-[6'-methyl-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl]-3beta,22beta-dihydroxyolean-12-en-29-oic acid methyl ester, 3-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranosylsophoradiol methyl ester, (20S,22S)-3beta,22-dihydroxycucurbita-5(10),24-diene-26,29-dioic acid delta-lactone, abrin, abrin-I, abrin-II, abrin-III, abrin A, abrin B, abrin C, abrine, abruoside A, abruoside B, abruoside C, abruoside D, abruquinone A, abruquinone B, abruquinone D, abruquinone E, abruquinone F, abruquinone G, Abrusabrus (L.) W.Wight, abrus agglutinin, Abrus cantoniensis, Abrus precatorius Linn., Abrus pulchellus, abrus seed, abrus-a, abrusgenic acid, abruslactone, abrusogenin, aivoeiro, AP-3, APA-1, APA-II, arraccu-mitim, Ayurvedic phytomedicine, bead vine, beta-cholanic acid, black-eyed Susan, blackeyed Susan, Buddhist rosary bead, cain ghe, Carolina muida, chapelet, colorine, coral bean, crab's eye, crabs eye, deadly crab's eye, degraded glucomannan, ellagic acid, essential amino acids, flavonol glycoside 7,3',5'-trimethoxy-4'-hydroxy flavone-3-O-beta-D-galactosyl-(l-->4)-alpha-L-xyloside, gallic acid, Glycine abrus L., graines reglisse (French), gunchi, gunja (Bengali, Hindi, Kannada), hint meyankoku, hung tou, hyaphorine, Indian bead, Indian licorice, Indian liquorice, isotoxic proteins, jequerit, jequirity bean, jequirity seed, jumble beads, juquiriti, lady bug bean, lady bug seed, lectins, legume, Leguminosae (family), liane reglisse (French), lipids, love bean, lucky bean, ma liao tou, methyl abrusgenate, ojo de p?jaro, paratella, paternoster, peonia, peonia de St. Tomas, peronilla, phytoagglutinin, phytotoxin, pois rouge (French), prayer beads, prayer head, precatorine, precatory bean, rakat, ratti (Gujarati), reglisse, rosary beads, rosary pea, ruti, rutti, seminole bead, sophoradiol, tentos da America (Portuguese), temtos dos mundos (Portuguese), tento muido (Portuguese), to-azuki (Japnaese), tribal pulse, triterpenoid saponin-1, triterpenoid saponin-2, weather plant, weesboontje, wild licorice.
Note: The ingestion of Abrus precatorius seeds may be toxic. Side effects may include severe stomach symptoms and possibly even death.

Background

In folk medicine, jequirity is taken by mouth to quicken labor, induce abortion, provide oral contraception, treat diabetes and kidney inflammation, and relieve pain in terminally ill patients. The whole plant has been used for eye inflammations.
Abrin, a constituent of jequirity (Abrus precatorius), is toxic, and ingestion of one bean by a child may be fatal. Boiling the seeds reportedly deactivates the toxins. Abrin is being investigated for the treatment of experimental cancers and is used as a "molecular probe" to investigate cell function.

Evidence Table

These uses have been tested in humans or animals. Safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. Some of these conditions are potentially serious, and should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare provider. GRADE *
These uses have been tested in humans or animals. Safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. Some of these conditions are potentially serious, and should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare provider. GRADE *
* Key to grades

A: Strong scientific evidence for this use
B: Good scientific evidence for this use
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use
D: Fair scientific evidence for this use (it may not work)
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use (it likley does not work)
* Key to grades

A: Strong scientific evidence for this use
B: Good scientific evidence for this use
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use
D: Fair scientific evidence for this use (it may not work)
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use (it likley does not work)

Tradition / Theory

The below uses are based on tradition, scientific theories, or limited research. They often have not been thoroughly tested in humans, and safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. Some of these conditions are potentially serious, and should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare provider. There may be other proposed uses that are not listed below.

Dosing

Adults (over 18 years old)
Jequirity has been traditionally taken by mouth as ground jequirity root paste, peeled or dried seeds, and ground seeds. Ground jequirity root has also been applied to the skin. However, there is no proven safe or effective dose for jequirity. Abrin, a constituent of jequirity seeds, is toxic, and its ingestion can cause death.

Safety

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not strictly regulate herbs and supplements. There is no guarantee of strength, purity or safety of products, and effects may vary. You should always read product labels. If you have a medical condition, or are taking other drugs, herbs, or supplements, you should speak with a qualified healthcare provider before starting a new therapy. Consult a healthcare provider immediately if you experience side effects.

Interactions

Interactions with Drugs
Jequirity seeds may increase the risk of bleeding when taken with drugs that increase the risk of bleeding. Some examples include aspirin, anticoagulants (blood thinners) such as warfarin (Coumadin?) or heparin, antiplatelet drugs such as clopidogrel (Plavix?), and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen (Motrin?, Advil?) or naproxen (Naprosyn?, Aleve?).
Jequirity seeds may cause high blood pressure, and they may interact with agents that alter blood pressure, such as ACE inhibitors or beta-blockers.
Jequirity seeds may lower blood sugar levels. Caution is advised when using medications that may also lower blood sugar. People taking insulin or drugs for diabetes by mouth should be monitored closely by a qualified healthcare professional, including a pharmacist. Medication adjustments may be necessary.
Jequirity seeds may damage liver and kidney cells. Caution is advised when using medications that may affect the liver or kidneys.
Jequirity may also interact with agents that affect blood vessels, agents that affect the lungs, agents that affect the nervous system, agents that expel worms, agents that regulate the immune system, antibiotics, antihistamines, anti-inflammatory agents, antimalarials, antiparasitics, anticancer agents, antivirals, fertility agents, gastrointestinal agents, and lipid-lowering agents.

Attribution

This information is based on a systematic review of scientific literature edited and peer-reviewed by contributors to the Natural Standard Research Collaboration (www.naturalstandard.com).

Bibliography

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Bagavan, A, Rahuman, AA, Kaushik, NK, et al. In vitro antimalarial activity of medicinal plant extracts against Plasmodium falciparum. Parasitol.Res 2011;108(1):15-22.
Bhutia, SK, Mallick, SK, Maiti, S, et al. Antitumor and proapoptotic effect of Abrus agglutinin derived peptide in Dalton's lymphoma tumor model. Chem Biol Interact. 7-10-2008;174(1):11-18.
Bhutia, SK, Mallick, SK, Maiti, S, et al. Inhibitory effect of Abrus abrin-derived peptide fraction against Dalton's lymphoma ascites model. Phytomedicine. 2009;16(4):377-385.
Bhutia, SK, Mallick, SK, Maiti, S, et al. Abrus abrin derived peptides induce apoptosis by targeting mitochondria in HeLa cells. Cell Biol Int 2009;33(7):720-727.
Bhutia, SK, Mallick, SK, Stevens, SM, et al. Induction of mitochondria-dependent apoptosis by Abrus agglutinin derived peptides in human cervical cancer cell. Toxicol In Vitro 2008;22(2):344-351.
Cheng, J, Lu, TH, Liu, CL, et al. A biophysical elucidation for less toxicity of agglutinin than abrin-a from the seeds of Abrus precatorius in consequence of crystal structure. J Biomed.Sci 2010;17:34.
Garber, EA, Walker, JL, and O'Brien, TW. Detection of abrin in food using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and electrochemiluminescence technologies. J Food Prot. 2008;71(9):1868-1874.
Ghosh, D, Bhutia, SK, Mallick, SK, et al. Stimulation of murine B and T lymphocytes by native and heat-denatured Abrus agglutinin. Immunobiology 2009;214(3):227-234.
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Okoko, II, Osinubi, AA, Olabiyi, OO, et al. Antiovulatory and anti-implantation potential of the methanolic extract of seeds of Abrus precatorius in the rat. Endocr.Pract 2010;16(4):554-560.
Ramnath, V, Rekha, PS, Kuttan, G, et al. Regulation of Caspase-3 and Bcl-2 Expression in Dalton's Lymphoma Ascites Cells by Abrin. Evid Based Complement Alternat.Med 2009;6(2):233-238.
Reedman, L, Shih, RD, and Hung, O. Survival after an intentional ingestion of crushed abrus seeds. West J Emerg.Med 2008;9(3):157-159.
Sahoo, R, Hamide, A, Amalnath, SD, et al. Acute demyelinating encephalitis due to Abrus precatorius poisoning--complete recovery after steroid therapy. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2008;46(10):1071-1073.
Subrahmanyan, D, Mathew, J, and Raj, M. An unusual manifestation of Abrus precatorius poisoning: a report of two cases. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2008;46(2):173-175.