An Unusual Case of Poisoning by Jatropha curcas: A Case Summary

Purging nut (Jatropha curcas) is a perennial shrub belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. This plant is used in traditional folk medicine and in Homeopathy for many ailments. Despite its purported medicinal properties, the whole plant is toxic and the toxicity is mainly due to the presence of toxalbumins curcin, ricin and cyanic acid. The fruit of the plant is attractive and resembles cashew fruit. The kernel of the seed is palatable and tastes like almond but is highly toxic. Because of these reasons accidental Jatropha curcas poisoning is not uncommon in children. An accidental poisoning in a two-year old child is briefly reviewed here.