Another Death Due to Ingestion of Nicotiana glauca

Abstract

Deaths attributed to ingestion of Nicotiana glauca are extremely rare. We report here a case where a 43-year-old man was found dead after apparently drinking a water extract of Nicotiana glauca. The primary alkaloid in the plant is anabasine. Toxicological analysis by capillary gas chromatography showed the deceased had a blood anabasine concentration of 2.2 mg/L. Clinically, the features of poisoning are nicotine-like and if death occurs it results from respiratory paralysis. The case further supports the view that, in the human, anabasine is considerably more toxic than nicotine.

Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Activities of Methanol Extracts and Alkaloid Fractions of four Mexican Medicinal Plants of Solanaceae

“…High levels of anabasine, a piperidine alkaloid isomer of nicotine, have been reported in this plant as far as 1935 (Smith, 1935;Galiana and VigueraLoko, 1964), and confirmed in many other chemical studies (Lisko et al, 2013). Ingestion of this alkaloid can result in severe or lethal poisoning in humans, livestock and poultries (Papavisiliu and Heliakis, 1947;Castorena et al, 1987;Sims et al, 1999;Mizrachi et al, 2000;Schep et al, 2009;Botha et al, 2011;Semmler et al, 2012). Also, teratogenic activity has been attributed to this alkaloid (Keeler et al, 1981;Green et al, 2012).…”

Nicotiana glauca (Tree Tobacco) Intoxication—Two Cases in One Family

“…glauca is atypical within the genus Nicotiana, in that anabasine (C 10 H 14 N 2 ) rather than nicotine is predominant as the main component of its leaf pyridine alkaloid fraction [2,3]. Anabasine has been identified as the responsible teratogen of N. glauca in animals [4][5][6][7] and poisoning agent in humans [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. Poisoning by anabasine is characterized by nicotine-like toxicity.…”

“…Stimulation of sympathetic ganglia and the adrenal medulla combined with discharge of catecholamines from sympathetic nerve endings and chromaffin tissues of different organs are postulated to be responsible for the cardiovascular signs. High-performance liquid chromatography/photodiode array/mass spectrometry (HPLC/PDA/MS) has been used to detect and quantify anabasine [12,[14][15][16]. Based on postmortem analysis of blood nicotine and anabasine concentrations in the fatal poisoning cases in humans, anabasine was suggested to be more toxic compared with nicotine.…”

“…Based on postmortem analysis of blood nicotine and anabasine concentrations in the fatal poisoning cases in humans, anabasine was suggested to be more toxic compared with nicotine. The blood concentration of anabasine found in a fatally poisoned young man was 1.15 mg/L [14] and 2.2 mg/L in a 43-yearold male who died after an apparent ingestion of N. glauca water extract [15]. Tissue levels of anabasine detected in the former fatal case [14] were as following: urine, 73.8 mg/L; kidney, 15.8 mg/kg; brain, 11.0 mg/kg; lung, 10.5 mg/kg; heart, 10.4 mg/kg; and gastric contents, 113.4 mg/L.…”

“…Its content varies among various parts of the plant, being highest in the leaves and the bark. This highly toxic alkaloid is responsible for the clinical toxicology of the plant: teratogenic effects caused by consumption of N. glauca in animals [4][5][6][7] and either severe [8][9][10][11][12][13] or fatal poisoning in humans [8,12,[14][15][16]. In most of these cases the patients mistook the plant for an edible green (such as marog-Amaranthus hybridus, Amranthaceae, spinach-Spinacia oleracea, or pokeweedPhytolacca americana).…”