Abrus precatorius rosary pea

Davis, J.H. (1978). Abrus precatorius (rosary pea). The most common lethal plant poison. J. F/orzWaMerf. Hi i oc. 65 188-91. Day, P.J., Pinheiro, T.J., Roberts, L.M., Lord, J.M. (2002). Binding of ricin A-chain to negatively charged phospholipid vesicles leads to protein structural changes and destabilizes the lipid hilayer. Biochemistry 41 2836-43. 

Abrin is a plant source Type 2 RIP. It is found in Abrus precatorius (rosary pea, Indian licorice, jequirity bean). The toxicology of abrin is considered to be very similar to ricin. A similar Abrus toxin is pulchellin, produced by A. pul-chellus (Millard and LeClaire, 2008). The rosary pea has been reported to be more toxic than castor beans (Griffiths et al, 1994). Species sensitivity is variable and horses are considered to be the most sensitive. The mature goat is considered to be a more resistant species and 2 g of seed/kg body weight is reported as a lethal dose. The lethal dose for cattle is reported at 600 mg of seed/kg body weight. It is likely that abrin is denatured in the rumen (Burrows and Tyrl, 2001). 

Davis, J.H. (1978) Abrus precatorius (rosary pea). The most common lethal plant poison. J Fla Med Assoc, 65, 188-191. 

Abrus precatorius (rosary pea) Screening for HNL activity in cyanogenic plants, purified by chromatography Only benzaldehyde tested Heterotetramer, 42.0 and 36.5 — [31]... 

In the rosary pea Abrus precatorius L. Trigollenine as well as its gallic acid ester Precatorine (209) is found (71P195) (Scheme 69). 1-Carboxymethyl-nicotinic acid (210) was isolated as a colorless solid from the marine sponge Anthosigmella cf. raromicrosclera as a cysteine protease inhibitor (98JNP671). This compound was first synthesized in 1991. The sodium... 

Synonyms Abrus precatorius Deadly crab s eye Indian bean Love bean Lucky bean Mienie mienie Prayer bean Rosary bean Rosary pea Seminole bead... 

Rosary pea rosary bean Abrus precatorius 1 Toxalbumin (abrin) severe fatal... 

Lectins are of widespread occurrence in legumes (e.g. soybeans, lentils, kidney beans, jack beans). They are potentially toxic as they can impair tissue functions, but the body can usually replace any damaged cells faster than they are destroyed (Johns 1990). Lectins are responsible for toxicity in the notorious garden plant rosary pea—Abrus precatorius. Lectins in foods are readily destroyed by processing and cooking. 

Abrin, a potent toxin, is extracted from the seeds of the rosary pea (Abrus precatorius). Due to its easy availability and preparation, this toxin is an attractive option for weap-onizing in poor countries, and thus has also been included in the Sch ule 1 of the CWC. The mechanism of action of abrin is very similar to that of ricin however, in mice, abrin is 75 times more toxic than that of ricin (0.04 pg/ kg for abrin is equivalent to 3pg/kg of ricin). Similar to ricin, inhalation of abrin is found to be more toxic than ingestion. However, abrin ingestion has reported to be toxic to the liver, unlike ricin. At the cellular level, abrin is a potent toxalbumin known to cause cell death by inhibiting protein synthesis (namely, type 2 ribosomal inhibitory protein). Further, abrin is also known to induce endothelial cell damage leading to an increase in cell permeability, fluid and protein leakage, and tissue edema. 

Abrin is a natural poison found in the seeds of a plant called the rosary pea or jequirity pea (Abrus precatorius). It is similar to ricin, although it is about 75 times more poisonous. Like ricin it is referred to as a toxalbumin, destroying ribosomes, which are responsible for protein synthesis, leading to cell death and tissue damage. Abrin has some potential medical uses, such as in treatment to kill cancer cells. To date, abrin is not known to have been used as a terrorist weapon although, like ricin, its highly toxic nature lends itself well to this purpose. 

---