The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, has launched a study on the Cycad tree, an ancient ornamental plant known locally as ‘Veru’ or ‘Aruguna’, due to the presence of BMAA, a suspected neurotoxin.

Scientists have detected the neurotoxin in multiple Cycad species growing in Odisha’s forests, prompting concern as some communities continue to consume its nuts in traditional diets and rituals.

The project is spearheaded by Prof SK Barik, dean of the School of Life Sciences at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), and Prof Sanjeev Kumar Bhoi, Head of Neurology at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.

The research seeks to develop a comprehensive strategy, raise public awareness, and promote cross-disciplinary efforts to assess and reduce the severe health hazards tied to Cycad ingestion.

Neurology experts at AIIMS report that Cycad species, commonly planted as ornamentals, harbour powerful toxins such as Cycacin, BMAA (β-N-methylamino-L-alanine), and MAM (methylazoxymethanol).

These compounds are firmly linked to crippling neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinsonism, motor neuron disease, and dementia in regions like the Guam peninsula in the USA and the Kii peninsula in Japan, where Cycad forms part of indigenous diets.

The Department of Neurology at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, in partnership with NEHU Shillong, recently hosted a workshop titled ‘Cycad-Related Neurological Disorders: A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Its Remediation’.

The event gathered national and international scientists and medical specialists to underscore the grave health dangers posed by Cycads. The plant, which has survived alongside dinosaurs for over 300 million years, was a focal point of discussion.

Experts conducted site visits to Dhuannali in Khurda, and Gangamunda and Suaginali in Kamakhyanagar, Dhenkanal, where tribal communities still rely heavily on the Cycas plant as a traditional food source.