Preliminary gas chromatography with mass spectrometry determination of 3-5dimethoxyphenol in biological specimens as evidence of Taxus poisoning

Taxus baccata is a widely distributed yew often asociated with fatal intoxication, which is related to the high amounts of cardiotoxic alkaloids,taxine A and taxine B,contained in its leaves. In this paper,a case of Taxus fatal poisoning,hypothesized by the forensic autopsy, has been confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Gc-MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) techniques. A gc-MS method was used for the determination of the derivated 3,5-dimethoxyphenol. a cynogenic aglylactone considered as a marker of Taxus poisoning, being present in all specied of Taxus. The detection by LC-MS-MS of taxine B and isotaxine B in the biological specimens confirmed the absorption of cardiotoxic alkaloids and allowed to established the cause of death as the ingestion of Taxus baccata leaves.