The Hidden Danger in Your Home? Unmasking the Toxicity of the Spotted wintergreen Plant.
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Plant with moderate toxicity:spotted wintergreen can cause skin irritation in susceptible individuals when its foliage is touched.
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Potentially lethal if consumed:Ingesting significant quantities of spotted wintergreen leaves may be fatal.
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Chimaphilin danger:The naphthoquinone chimaphilin present in spotted wintergreen results in tissue sensitivity and inflammation.
Is Spotted wintergreen harmful to people?
Spotted wintergreen possesses moderate toxicity, inducing a skin irritation in susceptible individuals upon contact with its foliage. Ingesting a sufficient quantity of the leaves is also said to be potentially fatal. The toxic agent is chimaphilin, a naphthoquinone that provokes tissue sensitivity and swelling. Naphthoquinones trigger inflammation at lower concentrations and cellular destruction, resulting in organ damage. Young children should be kept away from this plant.
