title: Yew poisoning of olive baboons (Papio anubis) in captivity: laboratory diagnosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Toxic effects of the yew have been known since ancient times. Yew toxicity is due to the content of cyanogenic glycosides and a mixture of alkaloids known as taxines. Taxine B is probably responsible for the most part of adverse effects in poisoned organisms. This particular taxoid is common in body fluids of the yew-poisoned. The present study is engaged with laboratory examination to confirm substances that lead to fatality of a pair of olive baboons (Papio anubis) following ingestion of yew seeds. When both cage mates (male and female) died suddenly, poisoning was suspected because many berries had fallen into the cage from a nearby fruiting yew tree (Taxus baccata) during the windy night before.
  
  
  METHODS
  The analysis was performed using electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A flow injection analysis/mass spectrometry setting was prepared for this purpose.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The above mentioned mass spectrometry analysis of taxoids confirmed poisoning by taxanes. The presence of taxin B/isotaxin B was confirmed in all investigated samples. Apparently in urine and bile there were concentrations ranging 150-220 ng.mL-1 and in blood serum concentrations 25-30 ng.mL-1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It follows from the results obtained that we confirmed that baboons were deadly intoxicated by yew fruits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic. kizek@sci.muni.cz.
authors.forename: Marketa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kominkova
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stanisavljevic
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ondrej
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zitka
authors.affiliation: Brno City Zoological Garden, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Stanislav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mazanek
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sedlackova
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bandouchova
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pikula
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Miroslava
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beklova
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Rene
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kizek
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D001646:Bile / Q000737:chemistry; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000662:veterinary; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D048530:Papio anubis / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D043823:Taxoids / Q000032:analysis; D020946:Taxus / Q000506:poisoning*
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D043823:Taxoids; C047703:taxine