Korean J Leg Med.  2010 May;34(1):15-19.

The Toxicological Studies and Autopsy Findings of Aconitine Poisoning

• Choi HK
• Kim YS
• Choi IS
• Kim JH

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Aconitium species have been used for a material of oriental herb medicine for analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. But Aconitium species were known to have the potent poisons like aconitine, mesaconitine and hypaconitine which are of C19 diterpenoid alkaloids. The intoxication symptoms are nausea, vomiting, discomfort and cardiac arrhythmias which are well known as a main cause of death. METHOD AND MATERIALS: We obtained the specimens from the five poisoned cases and analyzed those specimens by GC/MS-SIM for 2002-2004. These cases were divided into two groups. The first group was the victims who ingested raw Aconitium roots and leaves and were all dead. The second was those who ingested processed Aconitium roots. One of them drank Aconitium root-submersed alcohol (root wine) and died. Another victim had ingested some liquid extract of herb medicine for three months but the person's symptom was manifested by jaundice and hematuria without fatality.
RESULTS
Autopsy pathology on the cases of raw Aconitium ingestion and root wine drinking revealed similar gross and microscopic feature. The benzoylaconine analogues were detected in root wine (dead case) and hypaconitine, benzoylmesaconine and benzoylhypaconine were detected in herb liquid (living case). The aconitine analogues are hydrolyzed to make less toxic benzoylaconine analogues but the toxicity of hydrolyzed products and the methods of detoxification are still in controversy.
CONCLUSION
We could conclude that benzoylaconine is relatively more toxic than benzoylmesaconine and benzoylhypaconitine. And the hypaconitine is relatively less toxic than aconitine and mesaconitine.

Keyword

aconitine; autopsy pathology; benzoylaconine; gas chromatography; mass spectrometry; selected ion monitoring

MeSH Terms

Aconitine
Alkaloids
Arrhythmias, Cardiac
Autopsy
Cause of Death
Chromatography, Gas
Drinking
Eating
Hematuria
Jaundice
Mass Spectrometry
Nausea
Poisons
Vomiting
Wine
Aconitine
Alkaloids
Poisons