Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Taxine

dann2 - 9-2-2012 at 20:57

Hello Folks,

Don't come in here too often(thank goodness I hear the corus).
Has anyone every don't anything with Taxine. It's the toxin found in Yew trees. Lethal to amimals.
I believe Yew trees were grown in grave yards to bar cows etc from grazing.
According to this guy the sap used to be used on arrows?
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2009051200241...

How might you extract it. Can't find much info on google.
I once heard it is a 'first cousin' of Nicotine (but that may be rubbish). Yew leaves are MUCH cheaper than tobacco.

Dann2

bahamuth - 10-2-2012 at 09:07

Do not think it can be a "first cousin" of nicotine as it it has no structural similarities.

After reading the effects of this alkaloid I highly doubt it will or can be a substitute for nicotine unless you are a glutton for punishment, or want to poison someone but nicotine is to hard to extract....





This is an excerpt on taxine from the Merck Index, done with a android phone cam scanner, not to shabby if you ask me...

dann2 - 10-2-2012 at 17:51


Thanks for that.
It's not a lethal as I thought.

Dann2

Adas - 27-2-2012 at 08:49

AFAIK, Taxin is more of a cytostatic than a poison.