title: Fatal strychnine poisoning: application of gas chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: The history and toxicological findings in a case of suicidal fatal strychnine poisoning are presented along with a description of the analytical methods. Detection and quantitation of strychnine in body fluids and tissues was performed by gas chromatography (GC) with nitrogen-phosphorus detection, using organic extraction and calibration by a standard addition method. Strychnine concentrations in subclavian blood (1.82 mg/mL), inferior vena cava blood (3.32 mg/mL), urine (3.35 mg/mL), bile (11.4 mg/mL), liver (98.6 mg/kg), lung (12.3 mg/kg), spleen (11.8 mg/kg), brain (2.42 mg/kg), and skeletal muscle (2.32 mg/kg) were determined. Confirmation of strychnine in blood and tissue was performed by GC with detection by tandem ion-trap mass spectrometry (MS). GC-MS-MS analysis, employing electron ionization followed by unit mass resolution and collision-induced dissociation of strychnine, resulted in confirmatory ions with mass-to-charge ratios of 334 (parent ion), 319, 306, 277, 261, 246, 233, and 220. Additional confirmation was provided by GC-MS-MS-MS analysis of each confirmatory ion, revealing an ion fragmentation pathway consistent with the molecular structure of strychnine. The case demonstrates body tissue and fluid distribution of strychnine in a fatal poisoning and the application of tandem MS in medical examiner casework.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Albany Medical Center, New York 12208, USA.
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Rosano
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Hubbard
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Meola
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Swift
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011042:Poisons / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013331:Strychnine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000506:poisoning*; D013405:Suicide; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D011042:Poisons; D013331:Strychnine