Abstract
Diffenbachia amoena commonly called dumb cane is a houseplant found in homes, offices, banks and landscape premises as ornamental plants. The name dumb cane is derived from a temporary induced speechlessness after chewing a piece of the stem. Juices or sap from the stem contains oxalates and other phytochemicals which irritates the mucousal membranes and cause rapid swelling and inflammation of the tongue and throat. Ingestion of Dieffenbachia sap or plant parts leads to stinging and burning sensations to the mouth and throat, swelling of the mouth and throat, hoarse voice, nausea, vomiting and blindness if sap is in contact with the eyes. This family of plants has shown high levels of acute and chronic toxicities with high mutagenic, carcinogenic, genotoxic potentials. Several studies had implicated some phytochemicals contained in the whitish sap including saponins, glycosides and oxalates to be grossly responsible for the toxicity of this houseplant to biological systems. Results of phytochemicals and anti-nutritional factors contents per 100g of sample, revealed that saponin (4.20%), oxalates (37.00mg) and alkaloids (3.61mg) accumulates in the leaf tissues, flavonoids (6.31%) and phytic acid (331mg) are highly deposited in the stem tissues while tannins (10.10mg) and glycosides (9.64%) accumulates higher in the rot tissues of D. amoena. Results of the phytochemical – protein interactions in biological systems revealed that oxalates impair and inhibits the formation and functionality of essential amino acids due to complex formations of alanine glycoxylate transferase (GRHPR), Chromobox homolog 5 chromosome (CBX5), alpha ketaglutarate dehydrogenase (AGXT) and glyoxylate reductase (OGDH). The glycosides on the other hand affects and interacts with cytosolic beta glucosidase (GBA3) while saponin interacts with neurotransmitter proteins, alpha L rhamo, sephadex and FOXB proteins which together manifest in the observable associated symptoms and toxicity stated above. There is need to create awareness on the dangers and toxicity of this houseplant especially here in the Akwa Ibom and Cross River State, where the use of this deadly plant as ornamental is predominant.