Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies 2019; 7(4): 186-188 ISSN (E): 2320-3862 ISSN (P): 2394-0530 A review on poisonous plants of fabaceae NAAS Rating: 3.53 JMPS 2019; 7(4): 186-188 occurring in Bangladesh and their medicinal value © 2019 JMPS Received: 08-05-2019 Accepted: 12-06-2019 Ishrath Jahan, MA Rahman and MA Hossain Ishrath Jahan Department of Botany, Abstract University of Chittagong, The aim of this review is to provide a report on poisonous and toxic medicinal plants of Fabaceae used Chittagong, Bangladesh for different treatments. In Bangladesh, the family is represented by 254 species out of which 169 are assessed to be medicinal. Among them, 45 plants are poisonous and possess various therapeutic MA Rahman Department of Botany, properties. Poisonous medicinal plants are used for various ailments such as skin complaints, University of Chittagong, rheumatism, fever, labor, cold, snakebite, paralysis, dysmenorrhoea, dysentery, impetigo, lung diseases, Chittagong, Bangladesh scabies etc. The review has revealed that wide numbers of phytochemicals have been isolated from the various medicinal plants which possess activities like anticancer, antibacterial, anodyne, antifungal, anti- MA Hossain inflammatory, antitumor, analgesic, antiseptic, aphrodisiac, anti-rheumatic, astringent, antidote, emetic, Department of Dairy and Poultry diuretic, purgative, anti-allergic and various other medicinal properties. This information is valuable for Science, Chittagong Veterinary pharmaceutical companies to formulate new drugs. and Animal Sciences University, Khulshi, Chittagong, Bangladesh Keywords: Poisonous plant, medicinal plant, therapeutic properties, fabaceae, Bangladesh 1. Introduction History of medicinal plant usage is as old as mankind itself. Introduction to medicinal plants usage is a result of many years of struggles next to illnesses. Due to that, man has learned to pursue drugs from leaf, bark, seeds, fruits, and other parts of the plants. In spite of enormous advances of modern scientific medicine, traditional medicine is still the primary form to treat diseases of majority of people in developing countries together with Bangladesh. According to WHO (World Health Organization), it was estimated that about 80% population of developing countries depends on the medicinal plants for their primary health care needs, even though the allopathic medicine is available. Also, modern pharmacopoeia still contains at least 25% drugs derived from plants and many others which are synthetic analogues built on prototype compounds isolated from plants. Plant toxins are substances produced as secondary metabolites that are identical to extra cellular bacterial toxins in their properties. They show both useful and harmful effects in human beings and animals. They Show a wide range of side effects from minor itching, nausea, vomiting to adverse effects like psychosis, paralysis. It is a fact that virtually any substance can be harmful at high enough concentrations- as Paracelsus (1493-1541) said in the sixteenth century, “the dose makes the poison”. Poisons include both naturally produced compounds and synthetic compounds. Natural poisons are produced by species of bacteria, fungi, protists, plants and animals. Fabaceae, the third largest family of flowering plant in terms of species richness (Lewis et al. [9] 2005) and second largest family with regard to medicinal plant richness, is one of the widely distributed plant family. In Bangladesh, the family is represented by about 69 genera and 254 species (Ahmed et al. 2009) [1]. Among them, 169 species (i.e. 67%) included in 61 genera (i.e. 88%) are recognized with medicinal value (Jahan 2016) [7]. Among them, 45 species are assessed as poisonous to human, fish or livestock. They produce several toxic substances which can be fatal for the above mentioned ones. Plants, either grown naturally or cultivated in the gardens can be poisonous or injurious to human health. Poisoning can occur by several ways such as: by contact causing skin irritation, ingestion causing internal poisoning, Correspondence absorption by skin and inhalation (In the respiratory system). Many plants are used in some MA Hossain way or the other in medicines especially in homeopathic pharmacology. This review article has Department of Dairy and Poultry Science, Chittagong the basic details of the toxic plants of Fabaceae such as the botanical name, toxic part of the Veterinary and Animal Sciences plant and its potential medicinal properties. University, Khulshi, Chittagong, Bangladesh ~ 186 ~ Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies 2. General properties of toxic plants of Fabaceae numerous classes of rotenonoids, phenolics, terpenes and Plant grows in a highly competitive environment. It is steroids, cyanogenic compounds and alkaloids. Several continually threatened by other plants, micro-organisms, therapeutic properties have known to be present in different Insects and by both large and small mammalian, avian, and species of Fabaceae due to availability of certain metabolites. reptilian herbivores. In order to survive, each plant must draw Besides mild to severe toxicity they can be medicinally upon a complex of defences, which may be physical, such as potential as antibacterial, contraceptive, anti-allergic, spines or leathery leaves, or chemical such as toxins. antimalarial, febrifuge, expectorant, anticancer, mitigenic, The secondary metabolites produced in plants are of foremost anodyne, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antitumor etc. interest because they are often specific to a particular species Toxic plants of Fabaceae along with their habit, parts and or genera and must, therefore, have been designed to serve a some medicinal properties are listed in table 1. particular protective function. Among the most prevalent are Table 1: Summary of the toxic and poisonous medicinal plants of the family Fabaceae Sl. Name of the Species Habit Parts used Medicinal properties Reference No. Seed, leaf, fruit, Toxic, Antibacterial, Contraceptive, Antiallergic, Yusuf et al. 2009 [12], 1 Abrus precatorius L. Climbing herb root Antimalarial, Febrifuge, Expectorant Quattr. 2012 [10] Undershrub or 2 Aeschynomene indica L. Seed Toxic Quattr. 2012 [10] shrub Aganope heptaphylla (L.) Climbing 3 Leaf, Seed Antibacterial, Toxic Quattr. 2012 [10] Polhill shrub Canavalia cathartica 4 Climbing herb Fruit, seed Toxic, Stimulant Quattr. 2012 [10] Thouars Canavalia ensiformis (L.) Woody Mature bean, pod, Anticancer, Mitigenic, Anodyne, Toxic, Diuretic, Anti- 5 Quattr. 2012 [10] DC. climber leaf, seed inflammatory, Antitumor Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) Woody Toxic, Anticancer, Anti-inflammatory, Analgesic, 6 Seed, leaf, root Quattr. 2012 [10] DC climber Antiseptic Leaf, Root, Seed, 7 Canavalia maritima Thou. Climber Aphrodisiac, Anti-rheumatic, Tonic, Toxic Quattr. 2012 [10] Whole plant Canavalia virosa (Roxb.) 8 Climber Root, seed, leaf Toxic, Anthelmintic, Diuretic Quattr. 2012 [10] Wight & Arn. Castanospermum australe Toxic, anti-HIV, Antihyperglycemic, Anticancer, 9 Tree Laef, seed, pod Quattr. 2012 [10] A. Cunn.. & Fraser Astringent, Analgesic Yusuf et al. 2009 [12], 10 Crotalaria alata D. Don Herb Root, Whole plant Antidote, Tonic, Toxic Quattr. 2012 [10] 11 Crotalaria incana L. Herb Whole plant, root Toxic, Astringent Quattr. 2012[10] Seed, leaf, whole Mutagenic and carcinogenic, Toxic, Antitumor, Yusuf et al. 2009 [12], 12 Crotalaria pallida Ait. Herb [10] plant Vermifuge Quattr. 2012 13 Crotalaria quinquefolia L. Herb Leaf Anti-microbial, Toxic Quattr. 2012 [10] Fruit, Leaf, Root, Abortificant, Analgesic, Anti-septic, Febrifuge CNS Yusuf et al. 2009 [12], 14 Crotalaria retusa L. Undershrub Seed, Stem, depressant, Emitic, Laxative, Spasmolytic, Hepatotoxic, Quattr. 2012 [10] Whole plant Vermifuge 15 Crotalaria sessiliflora L. Herb Whole plant Toxic, Anti-septic Quattr. 2012 [10] Crotalaria spectabilis Yusuf et al. 2009 [12], 16 Undershrub Seed, whole plant Toxic Roth Quattr. 2012 [10] Dendrolobium triangulare 17 Shrub Pod, Root Antidote, Emitic, Toxic Quattr. 2012 [10] (Retz.) Merr. Alam and Bashak Woody 18 Derris cuneifolia Benth. Root Toxic 1997 [2], Quattr. climber 2012 [10] Derris elegans Benth. var. Woody Leaf, Root, Stem, 19 Antidote, Toxic Quattr. 2012 [10] vestita (Baker) Prain climber Seed Derris elliptica (Wall.) Bark, Fruit, Leaf, 20 Shrub Insecticidal, Larvicidal, Poisonous to Fish, Cattle Yusuf et al. 2009 [12] Benth. Root Derris ferruginea (Roxb.) Woody 21 Root Toxic Quattr. 2012 [10] Benth. climber Derris scandens (Roxb.) Woody Diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant and laxative, 22 Root, stem Quattr. 2012 [10] Benth. climber poisoning of fish Anti-spasmodic, Anti-septic, Anti- rheumatic, Anti- Climbing Bark, Leaf, Root, Yusuf et al. 2009 [12], 23 Deris trifoliata Lour. arthritis, Carminative, Counter irritant, Cytotoxic, shrub Stem Quattr. 2012[10] Insecticidal, Laxative, Stimulant, Toxic Desmodium styracifolium Aperient, Colic, Deobstruent, Diuretic, Emmenagogue, Yusuf et al. 2009 [12], 24 Shrub Root, Whole plant (Osb.) Merr, Stomachic, Toxic Quattr. 2012[10] Toxic, Antidote to poisoning, Anti-inflammatory, 25 Erythrina stricta Roxb. Tree Flower, leaf Quattr. 2012 [10] Antioxidant Anti-inflammatory, Anti-septic, Cathartic, Diuretic, 26 Erythrina suberosa Roxb. Tree Leaf, Seed, Stem Quattr. 2012 [10] Toxic, Fish poison Laxative, diuretic, expectorant, toxic, Analgesic, Anti- 27 Erythrina variegata L. Tree Leaf, root, bark Yusuf et al. 2009 [12] inflammatory, Antibacterial, Anxiolytic ~ 187 ~ Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies