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Suicidal yew leave ingestion — Phloroglucindimethylether (3,5-dimethoxyphenol) as a marker for poisoning from Taxus baccata

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Summary

In a case of suicide in a depressive 19-year-old man with considerable ingestion of new leaves, resorption of yew ingredients could be demonstrated. The main substance could be identified as 3,5-dimethoxyphenol, the aglycone of taxicatine, which is a typical ingredient of yew leaves. 3,5-dimethoxyphenol was demonstrated in harvested yew leaves, stomach content and cardiac blood of the victim. Structure confirmation was achieved by means of HPLC, UV, GC-MS, IR and1H-NMR spectroscopy. None of the Taxus alkoids could be identified. The components detected by TLC have not yet been identified. The results demonstrate that 3,5-dimethoxyphenol can be used as a marker in cases of intoxication by yew ingredients.

Zusammenfassung

Im Rahmen der Untersuchung eines Suizides eines depressiv verstimmten 19jährigen Mannes mit einer großen Menge von Eibennadeln konnte die Resorption von Eibeninhaltsstoffen nachgewiesen werden. Als Hauptsubstanz fand sich 3,5-Dimethoxyphenol, das Aglykon des Taxicatins, ein eibentypischer Inhaltsstoff. Es wurde in geernteten Eibennadeln, im Magen und im Herzblut des Opfers nachgewiesen. Die definitive Strukturbestätigung des aufgefundenen 3,5-Dimethoxyphenols erfolgte durch HPLC, GC/MS, UV-, IR- and1H-NMR-Spektroskopie. Es konnten keine vom Taxin ableitbaren Alkaloide identifiziert werden. Dünnschichtchromatographisch nachgewiesene Inhaltsstoffe konnten nicht zu Alkaloidbruchstücken zugeordnet werden. Das nachgewiesene 3,5-Dimethoxyphenol kann als Leitsubstanz für den Nachweis von Intoxikationen mit Eibenbestandteilen herangezogen werden.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Legal Medicine, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, D-40225, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Frank Mußhoff, Bernhard Jacob, Cornelia Fowinkel & Thomas Daldrup

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  1. Frank Mußhoff
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  2. Bernhard Jacob
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  3. Cornelia Fowinkel
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  4. Thomas Daldrup
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Mußhoff, F., Jacob, B., Fowinkel, C. et al. Suicidal yew leave ingestion — Phloroglucindimethylether (3,5-dimethoxyphenol) as a marker for poisoning from Taxus baccata. Int J Leg Med 106, 45–50 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01225024

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01225024

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