Sérgio de Andrade Nishioka, Rodrigo Dornfeld Escalanfe
Poisoning
by
the ingestion of seeds of the
fruit of the "cotieira"
(J
oannesia princeps).
Biomedic Science Center, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia
- Minas Gerais, Brazil
A 1 5 -ye a r-o ld b o y in g e ste d th e co re o f tw o se e d s o f a fru it o f Jo a n n e sia p rin ce p s, a la rg e tre e so m e tim e s fo u n d p la n te d in sid e w a lks o n stre e ts in B ra zilia n to w n s. F o u r h o u rs a fte r th e in g e stio n , h e h a d se ve ra l e p iso d e s o f vo m itin g a n d d ia rrh e a , b u t re co ve re d sp o n ta -n e o u sly th sa m e d a y. P o iso -n i-n g b y th e i-n g e stio -n o f se e d s o f Jo a -n -n e sia p ri-n ce p s is p o ssib ly -n o t ra re , co -n sid e ri-n g th a t th e tre e g ive s p le n ty o f fru it a n d th e se e d s h a ve a n a g re e a b le fla vo r, b u t is p ro b a b ly u n d e re stim a te d a s m ild ca se s a re u n like ly to b e re p o rte d . In g e stio n b y sm a ll ch ild re n , th a t co u ld le a d to p o te n tia lly m o re se ve re ca se s, is in p a rt p ro b a b ly p re ve n te d b y th e h a rd n e ss o f th e
sh e lls co ve rin g th e se e d s.
U N IT E R M S : F ru it, jo a n n e sia p rin ce p s, p o iso n in g , p la n t, se e d s
C A S E R E P O R T
A
a dried fruit he found in his backyard.15-year-old boy ingested the core of two seeds ofHe denied having done that before, but he knew the fruit by the name of "castanheira." Four hours Iater he had severaI episodes of vomiting and diarhea and sought medicaI assistance at the emergency Room of the university hospital in Uberlândia, where he arrived 8 hours after the ingestion. At the time he was feeIing better, his physical examination was normal, and he was discharged after being oriented about oral rehydration. When contacted one week Iater, the patient said that his symptoms had disappeared on the same day.The fruit he ate had been taken home months before, from a tree in the neighborhood by his father, who intended to pIant it because it provides good shade.
Address for correspondence: Sérgio de Andrade Nishioka Av. Teresina, 1 4 1 5 - Umuarama
Uberlândia/MG - Brasil - CEP 38405-384
The boy said that the seeds had a flavor reselnbling that of peanuts. Fruit and Ieaves from the same tree were recovered and identified as Joannesia princeps.
F ig u re 1 -P o iso n in g b y th e in g e stio n o f se e d s o f th e fru it o f th e co tie ira .
1 3 6 7
D I S C U S S I O N
Jo an n esia p rin cep s, k n o w n in p arts o f B razil as
"co tieira," is a tree o f th e fam ily E u p h o rb iaceae w h ich
reach es a larg e size, h as a straig h t stem , an d g iv es larg e
fru its w ith 2 o r 3 eg g -sh ap ed seed s. T h e seed h av e an o il
w ith stro n g p u rg ativ e actio n . I
T rees o f th e sp ecies Jo an n esia p rin cep s are
so m etim es p lan ted o n sid ew alk s in th e u rb an area o f
B razilian to w n s. In U b erlân d ia, aro u n d 3 0 0 trees o f th is
sp ecies w ere o n ce p lan ted , b ecau se o f th eir rap id g ro w th
an d larg e sh ad o w , b u t m o st w ere cu t y ears later after th e
realizatio n th at th ey rep resen ted a h azard b ecau se o f fallin g
b ran ch es d u e to th eir so ft h eartw o o d , an d also b ecau se
so m e cases o fm ild p o iso n in g w ere rep o rted (M r. G erald o
R o ch a N o v aes, fro m th e H o rto M u n icip al o f U b erlân d ia,
p erso n al co m m u n icatio n ).
T h e in cid en ce o f p o iso n in g b y th e seed s o f Jo an n esia
p rin cep s is u n k n o w n , b u t p o iso n in g sh o u ld n o t b e rare
co n sid erin g th at th e tree g iv es p len ty o ffru it, th e fru it h av e
an attractiv e sh ap e, an d th e seed s h av e an ag reeab le flav o r.
T h e fact th at th e seed s are co v ered b y h ard sh ells ex p lain s,
at Ieast in p art, w h y p o iso n in g b y Jo an n esia p rin cep s is
ap p aren tly n o t co m m o n . Is is aIso p o ssib ly u n d errep o rted
b ecau se in m ild cases v ictim s p ro b ab ly d o n o t seek m ed icaI
assistan ce. E v en if n o t life th reaten in g , in g estio n o f th e
seed s can b e a h azard , p articu larly to ch iId ren , d u e to
p o ssib le d eh y d ratio n an d electro ly te d istu rb an ces. 2
A lth o u g h o u r p atien t h ad m ild p o iso n in g , w e b eIiev e
th at it is im p o rtan t to reg ster th e case as a so u rce o f
in fo rm atio n fo r p h y sician s w o rk in g in to x ico Io g ic
in fo rm atio n cen ters, b ecau se o f th e scarcity o f in fo rm atio n
o n clin icaI asp ects o f Jo an n esia p rin cep s p o iso n in g .
T rees, sh ru b s an d p lan t fo r streets an d p u b Iic g ard en s
sh o u ld n o t b e p o iso n o u s o r, at least, w arn in g sh o u Id b e
g iv en to av o id p o iso n in g b y in ad v erten t in g estio n o f fru its
an d o th er p arts o f th em .
A C K N O W L E D G M E N T
T o Iv an S ch iav in i, P ro fesso r o f B o tan y at th e
U n iv ersid ad e F ed eral d e U b erlân d ia, w h o id en tified th e
sp ecim en s.
R E F E R E N C E S
I . P io -C o rrea M .D icio n ário d as. P lan tas ú teis d o B rasil e d as E x ó ticas C u lti v ad as, V o l. I. R io d e Jan eiro , Im p ren sa N acio n al, 1 9 2 6 : 1 1 1 -1 1 3 .
2 . S ch v artsm an S .S . P lan tas V en en o sas. S ão P au lo : S arv ier 1 9 7 9 :8 7 .
N I S H I O K A , S . A ; E S C A L A N T E , R . D . - P o i s o n i n g b y t h e i n g e s t i o n o f s e e d s o f t h e f r u i t o f t h e " c o t i e i r a " ( J o a n n e s i a p r i n c e p s )
