Two Kerala government-controlled temple boards have banned use of oleander flowers in temple offerings after a 24-year old woman died after accidentally chewing some oleander leaves (oleander poisoning).
About Nerium oleander
- Nerium oleander (commonly known as oleander or rosebay) is a plant cultivated worldwide in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions.
- It is known for its drought tolerance. The shrub is often used for ornamental and landscaping purposes.
- In Kerala, the plant is known by the names of arali and kanaveeram, and is grown along highways and beaches as a natural, green fencing.
- The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API) mentions oleander. According to API, an oil prepared from the root bark can be used to treat skin diseases.
- The plant has been “frequently described in Brihattrayi, Nighantus and other classical Ayurvedic texts. Charka [Charak Samhita] has prescribed the leaves of white flowered variety externally in chronic and obstinate skin diseases of serious nature including leprosy.
- According to experts, Nerium oleander contains highly poisonous cardiac chemical substances and directly affects the heart.
- It contains oleandrin, neriin, and digitoxigenin and so on, of which oleandrin is the principal toxin. As it contains cardiac poison, its immediate effect is on heart.
