Cerbera are coastal trees with promising anticancer properties but lethal toxicity： A short review

In this short review, the current knowledge on the chemical constituents and anticancer properties of Cerbera odollam and Cerbera manghas is updated with some description of their botany and uses. Although these two closely-related coastal tree species have overlapping geographical distribution, they can be distinguished by the eye colour of flowers and the shape of fruits. Chemical constituents of C. odollam and C. manghas include lignans, iridoids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides(cardenolides), flavonoids, phenolic acids and steroids. Cardiac glycosides of cerberin, dehydrocerberin, neriifolin, tanghinin, deacetyltanghinin and tanghinigenin possess promising anticancer properties with apoptotic activities. However, these cardiac glycosides are also cardiotoxic. Fatal cases of suicides by ingesting Cerbera fruits or seeds have been reported in India and Sri Lanka. In two suicide cases, one in Taiwan and another in the United States, the patients recovered completely. In New Caledonia, four death-threatening cases of poisoning(two were fatal) occurred through consuming toxic coconut crabs. Taken together, both C. odollam and C. manghas are endowed with cardiac glycosides, which have useful pharmacological properties but lethal toxicity.

红树林:海岸带的伊甸园

红树林是生活在热带、亚热带沿海地区的小鱼、招潮蟹、水鸟、水獭等生物的伊甸园。然而,这个伊甸园却在不断恶化、消失。 “红树”一词,有几种不同的解释。在这里仅指生活在热带、亚热带海岸潮汐区域的植物。这些植物中有的高达60多米,有的是覆盖在地面上的矮小植物。有的红树的花朵小巧玲珑,而有的果实长得像长长的铅笔或炮弹。在已知的一百多种红树植物中,每一种红树都与众不同。