Picrotoxin

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Picrotoxin is a poisonous crystalline compound found in the fruit of the climbing plant Anamirta cocculus (Cocculus indicus), native to India and parts of Southeast Asia. It is a mixture of two related chemicals, picrotoxinin and picrotin, with picrotoxinin being the more active component.

What it does
- Picrotoxin blocks GABA A receptor chloride channels in the brain. This interference reduces the brain’s natural inhibition, leading to overexcitation of neurons.
- It acts as a central nervous system stimulant and a convulsant.

Effects and risks
- In high doses, it can cause seizures, respiratory problems, and death.
- It is extremely toxic to humans and other animals; the lowest reported lethal dose is about 0.357 mg per kg of body weight.
- Symptoms of poisoning include coughing, trouble breathing, headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, vomiting, and changes in heart rate and blood pressure.

Uses
- Today, picrotoxin is mainly used as a research tool in neuroscience.
- Historically, it has been used as an antidote for some poisonings and, in the past, as a pesticide or pediculicide. It has also appeared in horse racing contexts as an illegal performance aid.

Synthesis
- Scientists have developed several laboratory syntheses of picrotoxinin and picrotin.

Safety note
- Picrotoxin is highly toxic. It should only be handled in controlled laboratory settings under strict safety protocols.