Abrus precatorius Linn.
Family _ Papilionaceae; Fabaceae.
Habitat _ Throughout the country,
ascending to an altitude of about
1200 m in the outer Himalayas.
English _ Indian Wild Liquorice,
Jequirity, Crab’s Eye, Precatory
Bean.
Ayurvedic _ Gunjaa, Gunjaka,
Chirihintikaa, Raktikaa, Chirmiti,
Kakanti, Kabjaka, Tiktikaa,
Kaakananti, Kaakchinchi. (Not to
be used as a substitute for liquorice.)
Unani _ Ghunghchi, Ghamchi.
Siddha/Tamil _ Kunri.
Folk _ Chirmiti, Ratti.
Action _ Uterine stimulant, abortifacient,
toxic. Seeds—teratogenic. A
paste of seeds is applied on vitiligo
patches.
Along with other therapeutic applications,
The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia
of India has indicated the use of seeds
in baldness.
Seeds contain abrin, a toxalbumin,
indole derivatives, anthocyanins, sterols,
terpenes. Abrin causes agglutination
of erythrocytes, haemolysis and
enlargement of lymph glands. A nontoxic
dose of abrin (mcg/kg body
weight), isolated from the seeds of red
var., exhibited a noticeable increase in
antibody-forming cells, bone marrow
cellularity and alpha-esterase-positive
bone marrow cells.
Oral administration of agglutinins,
isolated from the seeds, is useful in the
treatment of hepatitis and AIDS.
Theseed extract exhibited antischistosomal
activity in male hamsters.
The methanolic extract of seeds inhibited
themotility of human spermatozoa.
The roots contain precol, abrol, glycyrrhizin
and alkaloids—abrasine
and precasine. The roots also contain
triterpenoids—abruslactone A,
methyl abrusgenate and abrusgenic
acid.