BMC pharmacology & toxicology
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BMC Pharmacol Toxicol · Aug 2016
Case ReportsA suicide attempt by intoxication with Taxus baccata leaves and ultra-fast liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry, analysis of patient serum and different plant samples: case report.
Taxus (yew) is one of the most frequently reported plants causing potentially fatal outcome when taken incidentally or for suicidal reasons. A fast and reliable method of detection of poisonous compounds or their metabolites is critical in life-saving procedures in cases of yew ingestion. Previously, several chromatographic analytical procedures have been described usually taking longer than one hour of total analysis time. ⋯ The development of ultra fast liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry UFLC-MS/MS method provides a fast means to confirm yew alkaloids and their metabolite in various material. The applied analytical procedure allows early detection of main metabolite in patient material as well as comparing to those extracted from the plant. In our study, the taxanes remained undetected, probably due to the time elapsing from the patient admittance and collection of plasma. In cases like those reported in this study, retaining the gastric material should be obligatory to confirm the ingestion of yew. The possibility of using this approach in detection of native taxine compounds in human plasma remains to be verified.