Brucine, is an alkaloid closely related to strychnine, most commonly found in the Strychnos nux-vomica tree.
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10 Facts About Brucine
2.
Brucine poisoning is rare, since it is usually ingested with strychnine, and strychnine is more toxic than brucine.
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3.
Brucine is named from the genus Brucea, named after James Bruce who brought back Brucea antidysenterica from Ethiopia.
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4.
Brucine was discovered in 1819 by Pelletier and Caventou in the bark of the Strychnos nux-vomica tree.
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5.
Brucine can be detected and quantified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
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6.
Brucine has been used in fractional distillation in acetone in order to resolve dihydroxy fatty acids, as well as diarylcarbinols.
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7.
Brucine is used in traditional Chinese medicine as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent, as well as in some Ayurveda and homeopathy drugs.
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8.
Brucine is one of the many chemicals used as a denaturant to make alcohol unfit for human consumption.
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9.
Brucine in mentioned in the 1972 version of The Mechanic, in which the hitman Steve McKenna betrays his mentor, aging hitman Arthur Bishop, using a celebratory glass of wine spiked with brucine, leaving Bishop to die of an apparent heart attack.
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10.
Brucine intoxication occurs very rarely, since it is usually ingested with strychnine.
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