Cerbera Odollam
Definition
The yellow oleander or 'suicide tree', a Kerala coastal tree whose seed contains cardiac glycosides (cerberin, thevetin). Dominant in Kannur and Kasaragod districts; cases used historically for both suicide and homicide because the taste is masked by jaggery and the post-mortem signs mimic cardiac arrest.
- Common name
- Yellow oleander, 'suicide tree'
- Active toxins
- Cerberin, thevetin (cardiac glycosides)
- Geographic concentration
- Kannur and Kasaragod districts, Kerala
- Taste masking
- Jaggery
- Presentation
- Mimics cardiac arrest post-mortem
Common questions
Why does Cerbera odollam poisoning get mistaken for natural cardiac death?+
The cardiac glycosides in the seed disrupt the heart's electrical conduction and can produce arrhythmia and cardiac arrest with post-mortem findings that closely resemble natural sudden cardiac death, so it is easily missed unless toxicology is specifically directed at cardiac glycosides.
How is Cerbera odollam poisoning confirmed in the lab?+
Because cardiac glycosides are not part of routine toxicology panels, confirmation requires targeted testing such as immunoassay or chromatographic methods for cardiac glycosides, prompted by scene circumstances, seed fragments, or a clinical suspicion of cardiotoxicity.
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