In a health advisory released late Friday, the DOH warned the public to avoid eating the nuts, also known as tuba-tuba, kasla, tagumbo, tubing bakod, tangan-tangan seeds or nuts, because they contained five major toxins that can poison humans.
“The fruit or nut is small, green and fleshy when immature, becoming dark brown when ripe. The meat of the seeds is white and oily in texture, with pleasant or agreeable taste,” the DOH said.
Jatopha nuts contain curcin, which is toxqalbumin (phylotoxin) found mainly in the seed; purgative oil from the seed with a yield of 40-percent curcanoleic acid (irritant); hydrocyanic acid; and resin, which produces dermatitis; alkaloid glycoside, which can produce cardiovascular and respiratory depression and atropine-like effects.
The DOH stated that when adults or children chewed at least three seeds of jathopa nuts, they can cause symptoms of poisoning, like nausea and vomiting, followed by watery diarrhea, within 30 minutes to two hours from the time of ingestion.
Other symptoms include acute abdominal pain and burning feeling in the throat. Once the poison becomes severe or spreads out in the body, the symptoms will progress and may lead to hemorrhagic gastroenteritis and marked dehydration.
In serious cases of poisoning, liver damage may occur together with oliguria (low output of urine) secondary to hypotension (low-blood pressure).
“Children are more susceptible either to the direct effect of the toxins or secondary to the dehydration and electrolyte loss,” the Health department noted.
Based from the National Poison Management and Control Center in 2007, the ingestion of acute jatropha seed among children ranked 7 of the top 10 cases of poisons.
The Health department also warned the school authorities to avoid cultivating such plants within the school premises.
“In the plantations where the jatropha oil is to be used as biodiesel, there should be adequate warning signs posted within the plantation area,” the DOH cautioned.
Victims of jatropha poisoning should be brought to the nearest health facility at the soonest possible time so that gastrointestinal decontamination and fluid and electrolyte replacement can be initiated.
The DOH listed the agency’s poison control centers with the toxicologist and their contact number:
· East Avenue Medical Center (Dr. Visitacion Antonio) at 02-434-2511;
· Rizal Medical Center (Dr. Danilo Villamangca) at 02-671-9615; 671-9740;
· Batangas Regional Hospital (Dr. Rhodora Reyes) at (043) 723-3578;
· Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (Dr. Lourdes Agosto) at (053) 321-3131; and
· Zamboanga Regional Hospital (Dr. Ayeesha Pingli) at (062) 991-2934.
(Sara Susanne D. Fabunan)
