Traditional Uses of Abrus precatorius

Abrus precatorius, called Gulaganji in Kannada, Kundu mani in Tamil and Guruvinda ginja in Telugu, is a plant that has been used in Siddha medicine for centuries. The white variety is used to prepare oil that is claimed to be an aphrodisiac. A tea is made from the leaves and used for fevers, coughs and colds. It’s seeds are poisonous and must be treated with heat before consumption. The Tamil Siddhars knew about the toxic effects of plants and suggested various methods for purification.