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Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Gelsemiaceae
Genus: Gelsemium
Species:
G. elegans
Binomial name
Gelsemium elegans
(Gardner & Chapm.) Benth.

Gelsemium elegans, commonly known as Heartbreak grass, is a poisonous plant of the family Gelsemiaceae found in China and other Asian countries. It contains toxic alkaloids such as gelsemine, gelsenicine, gelsevirine and koumine.[1][2]


History[edit]

The plant has been identified as poisonous in various traditional Chinese medicine sources. It was noted as poisonous in the book Shennong Ben Cao Jing, published during the Qin dynasty. In the 16th century record Bencao Gangmu, it was descried as extremely poisonous, though no symptoms were given.

Crumbled leaves of this plant, surreptitiously added to food, were used in the 23rd of December 2011 poisoning of Long Liyuan, a magnate of the Chinese timber industry, and perhaps in the 10th of November 2012 poisoning of Alexander Perepilichny, a Russian financier cooperating with a fraud investigation in London,[3] though the role of the plant in his death has been disputed.[4][5]

Mythology[edit]

It is famous within Chinese folklore that the mythical figure Shennong was killed after consuming this plant. According to legends, Shennong was born with a transparent torso, and thus can see the exact effects plants have on a human body. Shennong made it his life goal to consume various plants and catalog their effects on the human body.[6] It was said that usually when Shennong consumes a poisonous plant he has enough time to consume tea leaves to cure himself. [7]

One day Shennong spotted a piece of vine with small yellow flowers that he had never seen before. Like usual Shennong took a piece of leaf and consumed it, and instantly felt sick. Before Shennong could do anything, he observed that his intestines had turned black and broken into pieces, and soon Shennong perished. Due to this story, the plant that killed Shennong is known as "Gutbreak grass". Modern sources identify this plant as Gelsemium elegans.[7]

Toxicology[edit]

Gelsedine, one of the 6 main bioactive indole alkaloids found in Gelsemium elegans
Kuomine, the most prominent alkaloid.
Gelsemine, the most famous of the bioactive alkaloids.

There are six main categories of active indole alkaloids commonly found in Gelsemium elegans. They are sarpagine, methyl gelsedine, gelsemine, humantenine, koumine, and yohimbane, with gelsedine type alkaloid being the most abundent.[8] There are more than 100 alkaloids in these categories that has been extracted from the plant. The most abundant being koumine, then gelsevirine, gelsemine, humantenine, and gelsenicine. [9] They are also some of the most toxic chemicals in the plant. The combination of these chemicals makes Gelsemium elegans highly damaging to the nervous system, the digestive system and the respiratory systems. Some of these symptoms include vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain, respiratory depression, convulsion, coma, and spasms.[9] The observed LD50 of this mix of chemicals was 15mg/kg by oral administration in mice. The LD50 is 4mg/kg in mice when it is intraperitoneally injected. [9] It seems that kuomine and gelsemine causes death through attacking the nervous system, while gelsedine causes death mainly through respiratory depression.[9] [10][11]An interesting thing to note here is that instead of causing death through damages to intestines, tests have shown that Gelsemium elegans causes death mainly by inhibiting the respiratory system. The suggested reason as to why it is thought to cause damage to the intestines is due to its early symptoms being vomiting and extremely abdominal pain. [7]


References[edit]

  1. ^ Jin, G. L; Su, Y. P; Liu, M; Xu, Y; Yang, J; Liao, K. J; Yu, C. X (2014). "Medicinal plants of the genus Gelsemium (Gelsemiaceae, Gentianales)—A review of their phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and traditional use". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 152 (1): 33–52. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2014.01.003. PMID 24434844.
  2. ^ Rujjanawate, C; Kanjanapothi, D; Panthong, A (2003). "Pharmacological effect and toxicity of alkaloids from Gelsemium elegans Benth". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 89 (1): 91–95. doi:10.1016/s0378-8741(03)00267-8. PMID 14522437.
  3. ^ Ligaya Mishan (31 October 2018). "What if the Powerful (and Paranoid) Started Using Official Tasters Again?". New York Times Style Magazine.
  4. ^ "Alexander Perepilichny: Rare Chinese poison found in stomach of Russian whistleblower". ABC Online. Agence France-Presse. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  5. ^ Holden, Michael (13 March 2017). "Was Russian whistleblower murdered in UK with poisoned soup?". reuters.com. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  6. ^ 神农尝百草原文及翻译_《纲鉴易知录》文言文_古诗文网. (n.d.). https://so.gushiwen.cn/shiwenv_cef91b83297a.aspx
  7. ^ a b c 神农与断肠草_博物馆. (n.d.). https://bowuguan.bucm.edu.cn/kpzl/zyyzs/32108.htm
  8. ^ Wang, L., Chen, S., Gao, X., Liang, X., Lv, W., Zhang, D., & Jin, X. (2023). Recent progress in chemistry and bioactivity of monoterpenoid indole alkaloids from the genus gelsemium: a comprehensive review. Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry, 38(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/14756366.2022.2155639
  9. ^ a b c d Lin, H., Qiu, H., Cheng, Y., Liu, M., Chen, M., Que, Y., & Que, W. (2021). Gelsemium elegans Benth: Chemical Components, Pharmacological Effects, and Toxicity Mechanisms. Molecules, 26(23), 7145. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26237145
  10. ^ Chen, Y.S. Poisonous Plants in China; Science Press: Beijing, China, 1987; pp. 371–376.
  11. ^ Ji, Z.Z.; Liu, W. Advances in the study of toxicology and determination of Gelsemium Elegans. Chin. Forensic Sci. 2017, 3, 24–30.
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