Human pharmacokinetic study of tutin in honey; a plant-derived neurotoxin.
Food Chem Toxicol
; 72: 234-41, 2014 Oct.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25084484
ABSTRACT
Over the last 150 years a number of people in New Zealand have been incapacitated, hospitalised, or died from eating honey contaminated with tutin, a plant-derived neurotoxin. A feature of the most recent poisoning incident in 2008 was the large variability in the onset time of clinical signs and symptoms of toxicity (0.5-17 h). To investigate the basis of this variability a pharmacokinetic study was undertaken in which 6 healthy males received a single oral dose of tutin-containing honey giving a tutin dose of 1.8 µg/kg body weight. The serum concentration-time curve for all volunteers exhibited two discrete peaks with the second and higher level occurring at approximately 15 h post-dose. Two subjects reported mild, transient headache at a time post-dose corresponding to maximum tutin concentrations. There were no other signs or symptoms typical of tutin intoxication such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness or seizures. Pharmacokinetic analysis using a two-site absorption model resulted in a good fit to the observed concentration data. A novel analytical method subsequently revealed the presence of glycoside conjugates of tutin in addition to unconjugated tutin in honey. These pharmacokinetic data will be important to better define a safe maximum tutin concentration in honey.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Picrotoxina
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Sesquiterpenos
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Mel
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Neurotoxinas
Limite:
Adolescent
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Adult
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Food Chem Toxicol
Ano de publicação:
2014
Tipo de documento:
Article