Rosary Pea

[Abrus precatorius]

Toxicity

Symptoms

Symptoms: Abdominal cramping, blindness (contact with eyes), bloating, bloody diarrhea, bloody urine, bloody vomiting, burning throat, cardiac arrhythmia, congestion, convulsions, cough, dehydration, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, drowsiness, encephalopathy, excessive salivation, fever, hallucinations, heavy sweating, hemolysis, high heart rate, hypovolemic shock, low blood pressure, melena, multi-system organ failure, nausea, pallor, pulmonary edema, seizures, shock, tachycardia, tightness in chest, tremors, ulcers in mouth and throat, vomiting.

Duration of Symptoms: Weeks

Rate of Poison: 8 hours - 3 days.

Causes Death: Yes, within 36 - 72 hours, rare.

Treatment: Most cases, does not require treatment. No known antidote present. Activated charcoal, antiemetics, antibiotics, clobazam, electrolyte replacement, fosphenytoin, gastric decontamination, intravenous hydration, mannitol, neutralizing antibodies.

Since these plants are more tropical, not many species grow throughout North America. The beautiful seeds are used to create jewelry. The black and red seeds resemble crab eyes, giving it the alternative name Crab's Eye.

Photo: Vinayara - Wikimedia Commons

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

One of these seeds is enough to result in death. However, most of the time the seed needs to be broken before the poison is released. If just swallowed (do not try this) usually the poison will remain in the seed and will not be released into the system.

Photo: பரிதிமதி - Wikimedia Commons

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

Main Toxin

Molecular structure of abrin (PubChem)

Abrin

Abrin, a toxalbumin, prevents the cells from making proteins by binding to ribosomes, causing the death of cells. As a result, endothelial cells will either be damaged or die, causing the capillaries to become more permeable. This allows other proteins and fluids to leak out of the system. There are two chains with abrin. The A chain depurinates adenine in the 28 S rRNA. This prevents binding of the elongation factor for rRNA. Without the ability to elongate rRNA, the translation of RNA ceases. This causes problems with the replication process of DNA. The B chain facilitates the entry of the A chain, which causes the process of depurination.

Level of Toxin: 0.15% w/w in seeds

Impacting Dosage: 0.1 - 1 μg/kg

Other Toxins and Chemical Components

3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl

Abrectorin

Abrisapogenol

Abrus Agglutinin APA-11

Abrusin

Abrusoside

Amyrin

Arachidyl Alcohol

Centaureidin

Decan-1-ol

Docosan-1-ol

Dotriacontane

Gallic-Acid

Hemiphloin

Heptadecan-1-ol

Hexadecan-1-ol

Iso, Orientin

Methyl Ester

Nonacosane

Octadeca-9,12,-Dienoic Acid

Orientin

Pentacosan-1-ol

Pentosans

Precasine

Saponins

Squalene

Tetratriacontane

Tridecan-1-ol

Triterpenoids

Undecan-1-ol

Xylose

7,5-dihydroxy-6,49-dimethoxy isoflavone 7-O-b-D-galactopyranoside

Abricin

Abrol

Abrusgenic Acid-Methanol-Solvate

Abrusin 2"-0-Apioside

Abrus-Saponins

Anthocyanins

â-sitosterol

Choline

Delphinidin

Docosone

Eicos-11-enoic Acid

Glactose

Heneicosan-1-ol

Hexacosan-1-ol

Hexadecane

Kaikasaponin III

Montanyl Alcohol

Nonadecan-1-ol

Octadecane

P-Coumaroylgalloyl Glucodelphinidin

Pentacosane

Picatorine

Precatorine

Serine

Tetracos-15-Enoic Acid

Triacontane

Trignelline

Tritriacontan-1-ol

Ursolic Acid

β-Amyrin

Abraline

Abridin

Abrulin

Abrusgenic-Acid

Abruslactone

Abrussic-Acid

Arabinose

Behenic Acid

Cycloartenol

Demethoxy 7-O-Beta-Drutinoside

Dodecan-1-ol

Eicosane

Glycyrrhizin

Heneicosane

Hexacosane

Hypaphorine

Lignoceric Acid

N,N-Dimethyl-Tryptophan

Octacosan-1-ol

Octanoic Acid

P-Coumaroylgalloyl-Lucodelphinidin

Pentadecan-1-ol

Pinitol

Precol

Sophoradiol

Tetracosane

Triacosan-1-ol

Trigonelline

Tritriacontane

Valine

Abrasine

Abrine

Abrus Agglutinin APA-1

Abrusgenic-Acid-Methyl-Ester

Abruslactone A

Alanine

Arachidic Acid

Brassicasterol

D Monomethyl Ether

Dimethoxycentaureidin-7-0-Rutinoside

Doscos-13-enoic acid

Eladic Alcohol

Hederagenin

Heptacosan-1-ol

Hexadec-9-enoic acid

Inositol

Luteolin

N,N-Dimethyl-Tryptophan-Metho-Cation-Methyl-Ester

Octacosane

Oleanolic Acid

Pectin

Pentatriacontane

Polygalcturonic-Acids

Protein Trigonelline

Sophoradiol-22-0-Acetate

Tetradeconoic Acid

Tricosane

Trimethyl

Tryptophan

Xyloglucosyl-Delophinidin

General Information

Parts of Plant: Coat of the seeds

Contact Hazard: Skin contact may result in rash.

Animals Affected: Most animals

*Birds are not affected.

*Toxin not released unless seed coat is damaged. A single seed can cause death.

Medicinal Value

General Information

Parts of Plant: Whole plant

Properties: Abortifacient, anodyne, anticonvulsant, antidepressive, antidiabetic, antiepileptic, antifertility, anti-implantation, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antimicrobial, anti-ophthalmic, antioxidant, antiphlogistic, antiproliferative, antiserotonin, antithelmintic, antitumor, antiviral, antiyeast, aphrodisiac, cytotoxic, diuretic, emetic, emollient, expectorant, febrifuge, hemostat, immunomodulator, immunostimulatory, laxative, nephroprotective, neuro-protective, purgative, refrigerant, sedative, tonic, vermifuge.

Components: Abrasine, abrin, abrol, alkaloids, flavonoids.

Antidote: Cancer, snake bite

Preparation: Decoction, dried, extract, grinded, paste.

Historical Uses

Current Uses

Treatments

Not known

Location

Ayurveda

Claimed Treatments

Abdominal Pain: Root paste
Alopecia Areata: Leaves
Bronchitis: Dried root decoction
Cold: Leaves
Conjunctivitis: Aphrodisiac, expectorant, laxative.
Cough: Leaves
Dysmenorrhea: Aphrodisiac, expectorant, laxative.
Eczema: Aphrodisiac, expectorant, laxative.
Fever: Leaves
Furuncle: Leaves
Hemoglobinuric Bile: Root
Hepatitis: Dried root decoction, leaves
Inflammation
Jaundice: Roots
Leucoderma
Leukemia: Aphrodisiac, expectorant, laxative.
Lymphoma: Aphrodisiac, expectorant, laxative.
Mammary Abscess: Leaves
Migraine: Aphrodisiac, expectorant, laxative.
Parotitis: Mature, seeds
Rabies
Rheumatic Ostalgia: Mature seeds
Sarcoidosis: Mature seeds
Sores: Leaves
Sore Throat: Leaves, root
Stomatitis: Aphrodisiac, expectorant, laxative.
Swelling: Seeds
Tetanus
Tuberculosis: Seeds
Tumors: Root paste
Ulcerative Carbuncle: Mature seeds
Ulcers
Urticaria: Aphrodisiac, expectorant, and laxative.
Worm Infection: Dried seeds
Wounds

Location

Africa: Contraceptives

Edibility

Parts of Plant: Leaves, Root, Seeds

Nutrients:

Carbohydrates: Cellulose
Minerals: Calcium, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Muscilase Phosphorous, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc

Taste: Bitter, sweet

WARNING: Poison is activated when seeds are destroyed.

Historical Uses

Current Uses

Preparation Methods

Not known

Preparation Methods

Leaves: Boiled, cooked (young leaves)
Root
Seeds: Boiled, Cooked

General Facts

Plant Facts

Illustration of Rosary Pea by Brandt, Wilhelm; Gürke, M.; Köhler, F. E.; Pabst, G.; Schellenberg, G.; Vogtherr, Max. - Wikimedia Commons

License: Public Domain

Family: Fabaceae

Genus: Abrus

Other Names: Bead Vine, Black Eyed Susan, Coral Bead Plant, Coralhead Plant, Crab's Eyes, Graines d'Eglise, Gunchi, Indian Licorice, Kolales Halomtano, Jequirity/Jequirty Bean, Jumbee Beads, Jumbi Beeds, Jumbo Beads, Licorice Vine, Liane a Reglisse, Love Bead, Love Pea, Ojo de Pajaro, Ojo de Cangrejo, Peonia, Precatory Bean, Prayer Beads, Pukiawe-Lei, Rati Gedi, Red Bead Vine, Redhead Vine, Reglisse, Rosarypea Tree, Saga, Semilla de Culebra, Seminole Bead, Weather Plant, Weather Vine, Weglis, Wild Licorice.

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Bloom Colours: Reddish-Purple, Pink, White

Bloom Time: March - October

Type: Perennial

Height: 18 - 27 feet long

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Habitat: Subtropics, tropics, open forests, woody vines

Origin: India

States: AR, FL, GA, HI, MS

Provinces: None known

U.S. Hardiness Zones: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Related Species

Abrus laevigatus
(Luckybean Creeper)

Photo: Dr. Alexey Yakovlev - Flickr

License: CCSA 2.0

Abrus melanospermus
(Liquorice Root)

Photo: Scamperdale - Flickr

License: CCNC 2.0

Other Species

Abrus aureus
Abrus diversifoliatus
Abrus longibracteatus
Abrus somalensis

Abrus baladensis
Abrus fruticulosus
Abrus madagascariensis
Abrus wittei

Abrus bottae
Abrus gawenesis
Abrus parvifolius

Abrus canascens
Abrus kaokoensis
Abrus sambiranensis

Family Connection

Alpine Sweetvetch

Yopo

Sources

Toxicity Section

Bhatia, M., Siddiqui, N., & Gupta, S. (2013). Abrus precatorius (L.): An evaluation of traditional herb. J Pharm Res, 3, 3296-315. From https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nasir-Siddiqui-2/publication/242022334_Abrus_Precatorius_L_An_Evaluation_of_Traditional_Herb/links/0046351cc0b8390566000000/Abrus-Precatorius-L-An-Evaluation-of-Traditional-Herb.pdf
Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. (2022) Abrus Precatorius: Rosary Pea. UF IFAS University of Florida. From https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/abrus-precatorius/
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Facts About Abrin. From https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/abrin/basics/facts.asp
Deane. (n.d.). Abrus precatorius. Eat The Weeds and other things too. From https://www.eattheweeds.com/tag/abrus-precatorius/
Dickers, K. J., Bradberry, S. M., Rice, P., Griffiths, G. D., & Vale, J. A. (2003). Abrin poisoning. Toxicological reviews, 22(3), 137-142. From https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00139709-200322030-00002
Fernando, C. (2001). Poisoning due to Abrus precatorius (jequirity bean). Anaesthesia, 56(12), 1178-1180. From https://associationofanaesthetists-publications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2044.2001.02316.x
Garaniya, N., & Bapodra, A. (2014). Ethno botanical and Phytophrmacological potential of Abrus precatorius L.: A review. Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine, 4(Suppl 1), S27–S34. https://doi.org/10.12980/APJTB.4.2014C1069
Karthikeyan, A., & Amalnath, S. D. (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, 21(4), 224. From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5416790/
Knight, A. (2010). Abrus Precatorius: Rosary Pea. Guide to Poisonous House and Garden Plants. From https://www.ivis.org/library/guide-to-poisonous-house-and-garden-plants/abrus-precatorius-rosary-pea
NC State Extension (n.d.). Seminole Bead Abrus Precatorius. North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. From https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/abrus-precatorius/common-name/seminole-bead/
Li, Z., Xu, H., Ma, B., Luo, L., Guo, L., Zhang, P., ... & Xie, J. (2022). Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibody, mAb 10D8, Is an Effective Detoxicant against Abrin-a Both In Vitro and In Vivo. Toxins, 14(3), 164. From https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/14/3/164
Nelson, L. S., Shih, R. D., Balick, M. J. (2007). Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants (2nd ed.). Springer. (pp. 57-58)
Ninan, E. C., & James, E. (2019). Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis due to abrus precatorius poisoning–A case report. Saudi pharmaceutical journal, 27(4), 521-524. From https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319016419300155
Petruzello, M. (n.d.). 7 of the World’s Deadliest Plants. Encyclopedia Britannica. From https://www.britannica.com/list/7-of-the-worlds-deadliest-plants
Reedman, L., Shih, R. D., & Hung, O. (2008). Survival after an intentional ingestion of crushed abrus seeds. Western journal of emergency medicine, 9(3), 157.
Saxena, N., Phatak, P., & Chauhan, V. (2022). Differential toxicity of abrin in human cell lines of different organ origin. Toxicology in Vitro, 78, 105250. From https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0887233321001752
Stewart, A. (2009). Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. (pp. 155-156)
Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2022-06-17. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Abrus+precatorius>

Medicinal Value Section

Bhatia, M., Siddiqui, N., & Gupta, S. (2013). Abrus precatorius (L.): An evaluation of traditional herb. J Pharm Res, 3, 3296-315. From https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nasir-Siddiqui-2/publication/242022334_Abrus_Precatorius_L_An_Evaluation_of_Traditional_Herb/links/0046351cc0b8390566000000/Abrus-Precatorius-L-An-Evaluation-of-Traditional-Herb.pdf
Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. (2022) Abrus Precatorius: Rosary Pea. UF IFAS University of Florida. From https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/abrus-precatorius/
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Facts About Abrin. From https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/abrin/basics/facts.asp
Garaniya, N., & Bapodra, A. (2014). Ethno botanical and Phytophrmacological potential of Abrus precatorius L.: A review. Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine, 4(Suppl 1), S27–S34. https://doi.org/10.12980/APJTB.4.2014C1069
Gul, M. Z., Ahmad, F., Kondapi, A. K., Qureshi, I. A., & Ghazi, I. A. (2013). Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of Abrus precatorius leaf extracts-an in vitro study. BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 13(1), 1-12.
School of Chinese Medicine. (n.d.) Abrus precatorius Linn. From https://libproject.hkbu.edu.hk/was40/detail?channelid=1288&lang=en&record=8
Tchatchouang, S.,...Kuete, V. (2017). Antiemetic African Medicinal Spices and Vegetables. From Medicinal Spices and Vegetables from Africa. From https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/abrus-precatorius
Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2022-06-17. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Abrus+precatorius>

Edibility Section

Bhatia, M., Siddiqui, N., & Gupta, S. (2013). Abrus precatorius (L.): An evaluation of traditional herb. J Pharm Res, 3, 3296-315. From https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nasir-Siddiqui-2/publication/242022334_Abrus_Precatorius_L_An_Evaluation_of_Traditional_Herb/links/0046351cc0b8390566000000/Abrus-Precatorius-L-An-Evaluation-of-Traditional-Herb.pdf
Deane. (n.d.). Abrus precatorius. Eat The Weeds and other things too. From https://www.eattheweeds.com/tag/abrus-precatorius/
Gadani, M., & Jani, G. (n.d.). Abrus precatorius. E-Flora of Gandhinagar. From https://www.efloraofgandhinagar.in/plant-details.php?cateUrl=climbers&plantUrl=abrus-precatorius
Garaniya, N., & Bapodra, A. (2014). Ethno botanical and Phytophrmacological potential of Abrus precatorius L.: A review. Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine, 4(Suppl 1), S27–S34. https://doi.org/10.12980/APJTB.4.2014C1069
School of Chinese Medicine. (n.d.) Abrus precatorius Linn. From https://libproject.hkbu.edu.hk/was40/detail?channelid=1288&lang=en&record=8
Tchatchouang, S.,...Kuete, V. (2017). Antiemetic African Medicinal Spices and Vegetables. From Medicinal Spices and Vegetables from Africa. From https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/abrus-precatorius
Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2022-06-17. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Abrus+precatorius>

General Facts Section

Bhatia, M., Siddiqui, N., & Gupta, S. (2013). Abrus precatorius (L.): An evaluation of traditional herb. J Pharm Res, 3, 3296-315. From https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nasir-Siddiqui-2/publication/242022334_Abrus_Precatorius_L_An_Evaluation_of_Traditional_Herb/links/0046351cc0b8390566000000/Abrus-Precatorius-L-An-Evaluation-of-Traditional-Herb.pdf
Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. (2022) Abrus Precatorius: Rosary Pea. UF IFAS University of Florida. From https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/abrus-precatorius/
Horse DVM. (n.d.). Rosary Pea. From http://www.horsedvm.com/poisonous/rosary-bean/
Nelson, L. S., Shih, R. D., Balick, M. J. (2007). Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants (2nd ed.). Springer. (pp. 57-58)
School of Chinese Medicine. (n.d.) Abrus precatorius Linn. From https://libproject.hkbu.edu.hk/was40/detail?channelid=1288&lang=en&record=8
WFO Plant List

Date of page creation: November 22, 2022

Updated page: June 23, 2024

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