What is oleander good for?
All oleander parts contain cardiac glycosides, mainly roots and seeds. Glycosides have a variety of therapeutic uses, including antiviral, immunomodulatory, cardiotonic, CNS-depressive, and antiproliferative actions. Oleandrin and other oleander chemicals are potentially toxic to the heart, liver, and kidneys.Nerium oleander is an ornamental shrub native to northern Africa, the eastern Mediterranean basin, and Southeast Asia. It is used in traditional medicine to treat hemorrhoids, ulcers, leprosy, and as an abortifacient.Oleander poses a problem for animal owners because it contains cardiotoxic compounds known to poison animals, including humans, dogs, cats, horses, cattle, sheep, goats, llamas, and birds. The primary toxic agent, oleandrin, causes heart arrhythmias that lead to cardiac arrest and death.Oleander (Nerium oleander) should be grown with extreme caution. All parts of the plant contain substances toxic to humans. Nevertheless, oleander usually does not pose a danger to children or pets, as it tastes very bitter.
Is oleander safe to eat?
Toxic Principle Oleandrin and neriine are two very potent cardiac glycosides (cardenolides) found in all parts of the plant. Red flowered varieties of oleander appear to be more toxic. Oleander remains toxic when dry. A single leaf can be lethal to a child eating it, although mortality is generally very low in humans. Oleander is highly toxic to humans and can cause serious illness and death if ingested. All parts the plant are poisonous, especially the leaves and flowers, causing vomiting, diarrhoea, dizziness, convulsions, irregular pulse and then respiratory distress.Ingestion of either oleander results in nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, dysrhythmias, and hyperkalemia. In most cases, clinical management of poisoning by either N. T.Oleander is so toxic, humans don’t even have to ingest it to experience symptoms of poisoning — just touching the plant and tree sap with bare hands or inhaling the smoke of burning oleander can induce toxic effects.Despite the danger, oleander is of great medicinal importance and used for heart conditions, asthma, epilepsy, cancer, painful menstrual periods, leprosy, malaria, ringworm, indigestion, and venereal disease; and to cause abortions, as well as drugs derived from this plant, is used in treatment of cancer and the .Pink oleander is also a popular ornamental plant that is grown in gardens as well as on the dividers of national and state highways across India. All parts of the plant are poisonous, especially the leaves, stem, seeds, and root.
Is oleander harmful to humans?
Oleander (Nerium oleander) is one of the most toxic ornamental plants, with its dangerous effects attributed primarily to a group of cardiac glycosides, the most significant being oleandrin. Oleander contains multiple poisonous compounds and all parts of the plant are highly toxic to humans and pets. Ingesting even a small amount of the plant can result in serious injury or death. The clear sticky sap can cause skin irritation or a rash on contact.Consumption of 5 to 10 oleander leaves can cause clinical signs that lead to death within hours. The entire fresh or dried plant, including seeds, fruit, and root, is toxic because of the content of cardiac glycosides.All parts of the plant: flowers, leaves, stems, trunks, and roots – both dried and green – contain powerful compounds which can cause severe gastric and cardiac distress when ingested. The sap from the plant can cause skin irritation. Even smoke from burning oleander leaves can be irritating.Oleandrin is a cardioactive steroid extracted from the oleander plant (Nerium oleander). Each year, exposures to oleander and related compounds result in thousands of poisonings worldwide. These drugs are cardiac poisons capable of causing bradycardia (slow heart rate), dysrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), and death.
What does oleander do to the heart?
Oleander contains oleandrin and nerine as toxic cardiac glycosides. The most serious side effects of oleander poisoning are cardiac abnormalities, such as ventricular dysrhythmias, bradycardia and heart block. Approximately 10% of these ingestions are fatal. Despite the danger, oleander seeds and leaves are used to make medicine. Oleander is used for heart conditions, asthma, epilepsy, cancer, painful menstrual periods, leprosy, malaria, ringworm, indigestion, and venereal disease; and to cause abortions.The leaves, flowers, fruit and even the roots – all parts of the oleander are poisonous. Although widespread ornamental varieties have a slightly lower toxin content than wild varieties, but they should still be handled with care. Even the smoke from burning oleander is poisonous.Oleander contains oleandrin which is similar in structure to the cardioactive drug digoxin and is responsible for cardiac toxicity after accidental ingestion of oleander leaves or taking herbal supplement containing oleander plant extract.Some investigators recommend the empiric administration of 10 vials of digoxin-specific Fab. One study has suggested Fructose- 1, 6-diphosphate (FDP) as a novel antidote for yellow oleander- induced cardiac toxicity. The mortality ranges from 10-to 17% for in- hospital patients.Conclusions: Digoxin-specific antibody fragments remain the only proven therapy for yellow oleander poisoning.
What is the medicinal use of oleander leaf?
The cardiac glycosides in oleander affect the heart. These chemicals can slow the heart rate down. Some of these chemicals might also kill cancer cells. People use oleander for heart failure, cancer, epilepsy, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses. Oleander contains potent cardiac glycosides, such as oleandrin and thevetin, which exert powerful effects on the cardiovascular system, leading to symptoms ranging from nausea and abdominal pain to severe arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.Abstract. Oleandrin is a highly lipid-soluble cardiac glycoside isolated from the plant Nerium oleander (Apocynaceae) and is used as a traditional herbal medicine due to its excellent pharmacological properties. It is widely applied for various disease treatments, such as congestive heart failure.The cardiac glycosides in oleander affect the heart. These chemicals can slow the heart rate down. Some of these chemicals might also kill cancer cells. People use oleander for heart failure, cancer, epilepsy, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.Although oleander has been used in traditional medicine and as a dietary supplement, there is no clinical evidence that oleander and its constituents, including oleandrin, are safe or effective for any therapeutic purpose. Oleandrin is not approved by regulatory agencies as a prescription drug.