Suranjan (Colchicum autumnale)

Suranjan (Colchicum autumnale) is not consumed as a food or nutritional supplement; it is a highly toxic medicinal plant used strictly in controlled therapeutic doses in Unani and traditional medicine. It has no meaningful macronutrient profile (protein, carbohydrates, fats, fiber) relevant to dietary intake. Its significance lies entirely in its bioactive alkaloid content: Primary Bioactive Compounds: • Colchicine — the principal tropolone alkaloid, present at approximately 0.2–1.2% w/w in dried corms and 0.1–0.8% in seeds; acts as a potent microtubule polymerization inhibitor; narrow therapeutic index (therapeutic dose ~0.5–1.2 mg/day in modern medicine; toxic dose as low as 0.8 mg/kg body weight) • Demecolcine (Colcemid) — a related alkaloid found in smaller quantities (~0.03–0.1% w/w); also possesses antimitotic activity • Colchicoside — a glycosylated derivative of colchicine, approximately 0.02–0.05% w/w; considered a prodrug that may undergo hydrolysis in vivo • 3-Demethylcolchicine — a minor alkaloid contributing to overall pharmacological activity • β-Lumicolchicine — a photodegradation product of colchicine with significantly reduced biological activity Other Constituents: • Tannins — present in corms in minor quantities; may contribute astringent properties • Flavonoids — trace amounts including apigenin derivatives • Phytosterols — including β-sitosterol in small quantities • Starch — present in corms as a structural carbohydrate (~15–20% of dry corm weight), but not relevant for nutritional use • Lipids — seeds contain small amounts of fatty acids (~2–5% w/w), including oleic and linoleic acid • Minerals — trace amounts of potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron have been detected in corm tissue, but concentrations are not nutritionally significant given the minute doses used Bioavailability Notes: • Colchicine is rapidly absorbed orally with bioavailability of approximately 45% (range 25–50%); peak plasma concentration reached in 0.5–2 hours • Undergoes significant first-pass hepatic metabolism via CYP3A4 and is a substrate of P-glycoprotein efflux transporter, both of which limit systemic availability • Enterohepatic recirculation contributes to a long effective half-life (~26–31 hours), which increases toxicity risk with repeated dosing • In traditional Unani preparations (e.g., Suranjan with milk or processed/detoxified forms), bioavailability may be altered by co-administered substances and traditional purification (tadbir) processes designed to reduce toxicity Critical Safety Note: Suranjan is classified as a toxic herb (Sumoom/poisonous category in Unani pharmacology). It contains no vitamins or minerals of nutritional relevance. It is never used as a food item. All traditional preparations require strict dose control, typically 1–2 grams of dried corm in Unani formulations after detoxification processing, corresponding to roughly 2–12 mg total alkaloid content, which already borders on toxicity thresholds.