Convulsant activity and neurochemical alterations induced by a fraction obtained from fruit (Oxalidaceae: Geraniales)

Intoxicação por carambola em paciente com insuficiência renal crônica: relato de caso

“…Its chemical characterization showed a non-proteic molecule, with a molecular weight below 500 (about 250 daltons), which is different from oxalate. (2) Regarding therapy, dialysis therapy is known to be the best option, however its modality, duration and number of sessions are still controversial, and so is the best starting time. (10) In a retrospective trial Chang et al (11) identified that among 20 patients, eight died even after emergency dialysis; however, two pieces of information are not clear: the total dialysis time and the time from the intoxication to the therapy start.…”

“…This neurotoxin appears to inhibit specifically the GABAergic conduction system. (2) Star fruit intoxication was first described in 1980 by Munir and Lam, (3) in Malaysia, where the fruit was observed to cause central nervous system depressive effect. Although almost 30 years elapsed since the first description, no consensus is so far available on the responsible toxin for the star fruit effects on the central nervous system nature.…”

Botanicals and Herbs: A Traditional Approach to Treating Epilepsy

“…21,22 Numerous herbal therapies have been anecdotally reported to cause seizures, including in patients with epilepsy 23 ; these include anisatin (a component of Japanese star anise, or Ilicium anisatum), which is used in Spain and other countries to treat infant colic, 24,25 ginkgo nuts, 26 essential oils, 27 evening primrose (Oenothera species) and borage (Borago officinalis), 27 and the stimulant ephedra (ma huang, or Ephedra sinica). 28 The extract of star fruit (Averrhoa carambola) may cause seizures in uremic patients 29 ; it is used to induce seizures experimentally, 30 as is the extract from Catha edulis (khat), whose fresh young leaves are used recreationally by an estimated 5 million people in eastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. 31 Likewise, an extract of a Chinese herbal therapy for schizophrenia (Coriaria lactone, which is made from the active parts of the plant Loranthus on coriaria sinica Maxim) is the basis of a rat model for pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy.…”

“…32 The pharmacokinetic interactions between herbal therapies and drugs, including AEDs, have been inadequately studied. Available evidence suggests that St. John's wort, 33 garlic, echinacea (various Echinacea species), pine bark extract (Pinus pinaster; also known as pycnogel, Pygenol, or Pycnogenol), milk thistle (Silybum species), American hellebore (Veratrum viride), ginkgo, 10,11 mugwort (Artemisia species), and pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata) affect the cytochrome P450 system and could therefore potentially affect serum concentrations of hepatically metabolized AEDs, [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] perhaps with fatal consequences. 10 …”

Averrhoa Carambola (Star Fruit) Induces Hepatic Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in Rats

“…1 Star fruit is also known as belimbing batu or belimbing besi (Malaysia), yang tao (China), and five fingers or five-corner fruit (Europe). The young fruit appears green and turns golden-yellow when riped.…”