Abrus Precatorius L

ABRUS PRECATORIUS L, a plant of the Papilionaceae family, native to Brazil, but now found in India and the Sunda Islands. In medicine, the seeds of the plant Semen Jequiriti s. Abri precatorii are used, from which the active principle—toxalbumin abrin—has been isolated. Abrin is obtained from an aqueous extract of the seeds by precipitation with alcohol, has the appearance of an amorphous white powder soluble in water. Its solutions have a bitter taste and rotate the plane of polarization to the right. The seeds of A. p. are 3-5 mm in size, bright red in color with a distinctly prominent black spot, and are poisonous. By de-Wecker, they were introduced into ocular therapy for the treatment of granular and purulent conjunctivitis. After applying an aqueous (cold) extract of the seeds (3:100) to the conjunctiva, a severe inflammation develops on it. Upon cessation of which, the original conjunctivitis is often cured.