title: LC-EI-MS determination of veratridine and cevadine in two fatal cases of Veratrum album poisoning.
abstract: We report two fatal poisonings due to the ingestion of plant material. The two deceased were discovered in the water of a mountain lake about one month after the postmortem immersion of the corpses. Macroscopic examination of the stomachs revealed the presence of a very large number of small blackish granules, which were later identified as seeds of a Veratrum species. Veratridine and cevadine were identified and quantitated by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. Measured blood concentrations were 0.17 and 0.40 ng/mL for veratridine and 0.32 and 0.48 ng/mL for cevadine. The absence of other toxic substance led to the assumption that this massive ingestion was the cause of death, although the circumstances surrounding intake remained unknown.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Expertises TOXLAB, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gaillard
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pepin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D011041:Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis; D014701:Veratridine / Q000097:blood*; D014702:Veratrine / Q000097:blood*; D014703:Veratrum / Q000506:poisoning*
chemical_list: D014701:Veratridine; D014702:Veratrine