Deguelia rufescens urucu
Deguelia rufescens urucu
Safety & Hazards
The plant contains rotenone and has been used traditionally as a fish poison[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ] - the rotenone kills or stuns the fish making them easy to catch, but the fish remain perfectly edible for mammals. Rotenone is classified by the World Health Organization as moderately hazardous. It is mildly toxic to humans and other mammals, but extremely toxic to many insects (hence its use as an insecticide) and aquatic life, including fish. This higher toxicity in fish and insects is because the lipophilic rotenone is easily taken up through the gills or trachea, but not as easily through the skin or the gastrointestinal tract. The lowest lethal dose for a child is 143 mg/kg, but human deaths from rotenone poisoning are rare because its irritating action causes vomiting. Deliberate ingestion of rotenone, however, can be fatal. The compound decomposes when exposed to sunlight and usually has an activity of six days in the environment.
Botanical Description
Deguelia rufescens urucu is an erect, evergreen shrub or a climbing plant producing several woody stems from its base that clamber into other plants for support. This plant is an important source of the organic insecticide rotenone (the active ingredient in derris). It was first cultivated in S. America by the native people before the arrival of the Europeans, who used it as a fish poison and to kill ants. It is now cultivated on a fairly large scale in parts of tropical S. America and some other tropical areas, the rotenone being exported to various other countries throughout the world[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ].