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Review
. 2018 Apr 9;5(1):25-31.
doi: 10.1080/20961790.2018.1452346. eCollection 2020.

Research progress of aconitine toxicity and forensic analysis of aconitine poisoning

Xiangting Gao  1 , Jun Hu  1   2 , Xincai Zhang  1 , Yuanyi Zuo  1   3 , Yun Wang  1 , Shaohua Zhu  1
Affiliations
Review

Research progress of aconitine toxicity and forensic analysis of aconitine poisoning

Xiangting Gao et al. Forensic Sci Res. .

Abstract

Chinese herbal medicines have been extensively used in China and other countries for centuries. Aconitine, a diterpenoid alkaloid extracted from Aconitum plants, has anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities, but can also induce severe arrhythmia and neurotoxicity. Aconitine poisoning accidents caused by misuse, suicide, or homicide have been reported in recent years. In China, fatal aconitine poisoning can occasionally happen on account of accidental ingestion of some wild plants or consumption of herbal decoction made from the roots of Aconitum plants. However, it is rather difficult for forensic experts to find the specific results in present forensic autopsy of aconitine-induced death. To further clarify its potential risk following the widespread application of aconitine, toxicological characteristics and pharmacokinetics of aconitine are reviewed. Moreover, gastrointestinal, neurological, and cardiovascular symptoms were observed frequently in aconitine poisoning cases. In addition, the review also aims at providing some convincing evidences for forensic experts to identify unexplained death with postmortem examination.

Keywords: Forensic sciences; aconitine; metabolic characteristics; toxic effects.

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