Kalpana Surendranath

Abrus Toxins: Study of the Dangerous Lectin Duo Present in the Seeds of Indian Licorice Kalpana Surendranath

Abrin and Abrus Agglutinin are natural toxins found in the seeds of the sub tropical climber Abrus precatorius. Both are proteins that are stable at extreme conditions and could be fatal to health when ingested. The dreadful nature of them could be judged by the fact that a single well-masticated seed is capable of killing an adult. The toxins work by getting inside the cells of a person?s body and prevent the cells from making proteins, the building blocks of the cell. Eventually cell death occurs resulting in the seizure of the whole body. No anecdote exists for these toxins and symptoms of poisoning may differ depending on the route of exposure.