A rare case report of Strychnos nux-vomica poisoning with bradycardia

Negligible Nux Vomica: Homeopathic Nux Vomica remedies don't contain strychnine?

INTRODUCTION

The St. Ignatius bean of the Strychnos ignatii tree and Nux Vomica homeopathic products presumably could contain the toxic alkaloids strychnine and brucine. This study aimed to determine the amount of these toxic alkaloids in some commercially available Nux Vomica products and the St. Ignatius bean and to determine if overdose of these products could result in clinically significant toxicity.

METHODS

Using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, various formulations of Nux Vomica products and St. Ignatius beans were analyzed for strychnine, and brucine with detection limits set at 0.1 ng/g.

RESULTS

None of the analyzed Nux Vomica products contained any detectable strychnine or brucine, while the expected strychnine dose from a St. Ignatius bean would be < 0.001 mg.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, our study reveals that the amount of strychnine in homeopathic Nux Vomica products or St. Ignatius beans are not likely to result in clinically significant strychnine toxicity.

A Bitter Taste in Your Heart

The human genome contains ∼29 bitter taste receptors (T2Rs), which are responsible for detecting thousands of bitter ligands, including toxic and aversive compounds. This sentinel function varies between individuals and is underpinned by naturally occurring T2R polymorphisms, which have also been associated with disease. Recent studies have reported the expression of T2Rs and their downstream signaling components within non-gustatory tissues, including the heart. Though the precise role of T2Rs in the heart remains unclear, evidence points toward a role in cardiac contractility and overall vascular tone. In this review, we summarize the extra-oral expression of T2Rs, focusing on evidence for expression in heart; we speculate on the range of potential ligands that may activate them; we define the possible signaling pathways they activate; and we argue that their discovery in heart predicts an, as yet, unappreciated cardiac physiology.