Cerbera odollam is a
dicotyledonous angiosperm, commonly known as suicide tree. The tree is also
called pong-pong and othalanga and this plant belongs to poisonous Apocynaceae
family. The plant yields a potent poison that has been used for suicide and
murder, which includes the yellow and common oleanders. The seeds are
excessively toxic, containing cerberin as the main active cardenolide and cardiac
glycoside toxin that block the calcium ion channels in heart muscle, causing
disruption of the heartbeat, most habitually fatally. The plant native to
sub-continent mainly endemic to India and other parts of southern Asia growing
preferentially in coastal salt swamps and in marshy areas and grown as a hedge
plant between home compounds and it grows wild along the coast in many parts of
Kerala, India. Therefore, Cerberin is incredibly toxic in relatively low
dosages, habitually killing its victims within a few hours, during which time
they may suffer crippling stomach pain, diarrhea, irregular heart rhythm,
vomiting and sometimes a splitting headache. The plant is growing upwards of 30
feet tall and no plant in the world is responsible for as many deaths by
suicide as the odollam tree.
A similar species found in
Madagascar named “Cerbera Venenifera”, has a rich history of ordeal poison,
major cause of more than 3000 deaths per year in previous centuries. As this is
powerful toxic plan currently completely ignored by researchers, chemists,
analysts. The Cerbera odollam plant is responsible for about 50% of the plant
poisoning cases and 10% of the total poisoning cases in Kerala, India, used
both for suicide and homicide. There were over 500 cases reported of fatal
Cerbera poisoning between 1989 and 1999 in the Kerala State. It is also likely
that several cases of homicide using the plant go unnoticed in countries where
it does not grow naturally.
Researchers have found its fruits
are used for manufacturing bio insecticides and deodorants and using the seeds
as a feedstock in the production of biodiesel. Cerbera odollam is having close
resemblance to oleander; another highly toxic plant from the same family yields
milky, white latex. The tree unripe fruits looks like small mango with a green
fibrous shell enclosing an ovoid kernel measuring about 2cm x 1.5cm with two
cross-matching white fleshy halves. Therefore, with the change of weather, on
exposure to air, the white kernel turns violet, then dark grey, and ultimately
brown, or black. French researchers performed a study in 2004 that indicated
that the suicide tree may be responsible for more deaths than even the
incredible amount already known. It is very quick and more painless than other
available methods of suicide.
