Is oleander really toxic?

Oleander is a famous ornamental flower, which is an evergreen upright shrub of oleander family. It is cultivated in various provinces and regions of our country, especially in the south. It is often cultivated in parks, scenic spots, roads, rivers and lakes. The leaves are like willow bamboo, red flowers are burning, better than peach blossoms, and the Corolla is pink to crimson or white. The ornamental value is very high. Let's take a look at whether oleander is poisonous.

Is oleander really toxic?

The whole plant of oleander is highly toxic. Oleander is one of the most poisonous plants, containing a variety of toxins, some of which are even deadly and highly toxic, with small or near-fatal reports. The largest amount of toxins are cardiotonic glycosides of oleoside and neriine. Cardiotonic glycosides are natural plant or animal toxins that have positive or toxic effects on the heart and can be found in all parts of oleander, with the highest concentration in tree sap, which can cause arthralgia on the skin. Moreover, scientists believe that there are still many unknown harmful substances in oleander.

Medicinal value of oleander

The taste is bitter, cold and highly toxic.

The Heart Sutra.

1. Root bark: oleander root bark has cardiotonic and insecticidal effect. it is used for heart failure, epilepsy, onychomyelitis and alopecia areata.

2. Leaves: oleander leaves have cardiotonic diuretic, expectorant and insecticidal effects. they are used for heart failure, epilepsy, onychomyelitis, alopecia areata and fly killing.

3. Whole plant: oleander whole plant has the effects of cardiotonic, diuretic, sweating, expectorant, removing blood stasis, relieving pain, detoxification and penetrating rash. it is used for asthma, sheep epilepsy, heart failure, fly killing and wriggling.

Pharmacological effects of oleander

1. Cardiotonic effect: the leaves, stems, bark, wood and flowers of oleander have significant cardiotonic effect, and the effect of leaves is the strongest.

2. Diuretic effect: oleander extract and alcohol extract showed diuretic effect on experimental animals, but it was weaker than digitalis.

3. Sedative effect: oleander decoction and alcohol extract have sedative effect on experimental mice, showing decreased spontaneous activity, drowsiness, and can prolong the sleep time of barbital, but have no anticonvulsant effect, and its sedative effect appears after the change of heart rhythm.

4. insecticidal effect: the water extract and gum of bamboo peach bark have the effect of killing insects and snails. The toxicity to vertebral snail is 14 times higher than that of niclosamide, which is separated and refined by water extract and ethanol extract of oleander leaves. It is also better than the molluscicide Anguo and methamidophos.

5. Other effects: oleanoside C has a strong emetic effect, stable to heat, inhibit uterine contraction and dilate blood vessels in low dose, enhance uterine muscle tension and contract vascular smooth muscle in high dose. In addition, the leaf has an inhibitory effect on Ehrlich ascites cancer in mice.