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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