Plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids used in the Traditional Indian Medicine - including Ayurveda

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) show a hazardous potential for humans and animals. They can possess mutagenic, teratogenic, cancerogenic and fetotoxic properties. One pathway of a human intoxication can be the use of medicinal plants which contain toxic PAs. The Traditional Indian medicine - in particular Ayurveda - is a popular and well-known healing system. Within this system several PA-containing plants are used which, on account of their PA level, represent a severe health risk. In general, it is not recommended to use plants containing those toxic compounds.