Saxotoxin sprinkled pretzels.

Matthew X profrv at nex.net.au
Mon Sep 9 03:43:34 PDT 2002


Who will risk experimenting with SAXITOXIN? It is 1000 times more 
toxic >than a typical synthetic nerve gas such as sarin. It was used by CIA 
in >1950's as a suicide capsule. President Nixon ordered entire stock of 
of >SAXOTOXIN to be destroyed. > There are plus point to SAXOTOXIN, it has 
been used in medical research. >
Checking on the structure of Saxitoxin in the Merck Index reveals that 
it >> has a most interesting architecture. Three terminal NH2 groups, an 
ether >> linkage and a ketone. Its stable in acid solution but decomposes 
rapidly in >> alkaline media. It looks like very good food for anaerobic 
bacteria and I >> suspect would decompose rapidly in the presence of 
acetogens and >> methanogens. Try a sample of digested sewage sludge 
(anaerobic) culture with >> some milk for a few days at 35 Celsius until 
gas is produced. Then add the >> Saxitoxin at known dilution, sample and 
analyse for Saxitoxin every hour. >> Within 12 hours I'll bet its all gone. 
Not sure of the specific test used to >> confirm saxitoxin but I guess its 
capable of parts per billion.
Source in nature...
http://www.scuba-doc.com/ingest.htm





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