RESUMO
Ricin is one of the most fascinating poisons due to its high toxicity: as little as 500 microg can kill an adult. It gained fame by its use in the so-called 'umbrella murder' to kill the Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov in 1978. Ricin also became known as a potential bio-terror agent to which people could be exposed through the air, food, or water. The origin, biochemistry, toxicity, and analytical procedures for the determination of ricin are summarized. The homicide of Markov is described as well as recent cases of criminal ricin use.
Assuntos
Toxicologia Forense/métodos , Homicídio , Ricina/intoxicação , Adulto , Bioterrorismo/história , Bulgária , História do Século XX , Homicídio/história , Humanos , Intoxicação por Plantas/diagnóstico , Intoxicação por Plantas/fisiopatologia , Intoxicação por Plantas/terapia , Ricina/históriaRESUMO
The purpose of this study was to investigate the dead reasons of Georgi Markov. Georgi Markov, a well known Bulgarian novelist and playwright, dissident of the communist regime in his country, escaped to England where, he dedicated himself in broadcasting from BBC World Service, the Radio Free Europe and the German Deutsche Welle against the communist party and especially against its leader Todor Zhivkov who in a party's meeting told that he wanted Markov silenced for ever. On the 7th September 1978 Markov received a deadly dose of the poison ricin by injection to his thigh by a specially modified umbrella. He died without a final diagnosis a few days later. The autopsy revealed the poisoning. The murderer, in spite of the efforts of the Police, Interpol and Diplomacy still remains unknown.
Assuntos
Homicídio/história , Ricina/história , Bulgária , Comunismo/história , História do Século XX , Humanos , Londres , Masculino , Ricina/intoxicaçãoRESUMO
Ricin, abrin and related plant toxins have played interesting and important roles in the history of clinical medicine and biomedical research. The use of these proteins in medical treatment since ancient times is reviewed. Later the proteins played important roles in the early days of immunological research and some of the fundamental principles of immunology were discovered with toxic proteins of this group. During the last three decades the mechanism of action of the toxins was elucidated. This led to a major effort to target the toxins to malignant cells. Ricin has been used in bioterrorism. Recently, the toxins have played important roles as experimental models to elucidate the intracellular trafficking of endocytosed proteins.
