Strychnine

5. Strychnine

Commonly used as a pesticide to kill large unwanted pests like rodents and birds. Due to the ease of concealment, strychnine is rumored to have killed many historic figures including Alexander the Great and Blues musician Robert Johnson.


Strychnine is a highly toxic, colorless, bitter, crystalline alkaloid used as a pesticide, particularly for killing small vertebrates such as birds and rodents.
  • Formula : C21H22N2O2
  • Molar mass : 334.41 g/mol
  • IUPAC ID : strychnidin-10-one
  • Melting point : 270 °C
  • Boiling point : 270 °C
  • Density : 1.36 g/cm³
  • Odor : Odorless
  • Solubality in water :0.02% (20°C)
  • Acidity : 8.25
Strychnine is a highly toxic, colorless, bitter, crystalline alkaloids used as a Pesticide, particularly for killing small vertebrates such as birds and rodents. Strychnine, when inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the eyes or mouth, causes poisoning which results in muscular convusions and eventually death through asphyxia. While it has no known medicinal effects, in the past the convulsant effect was believed to be beneficial in small doses. The most common source is from the seeds of the Strychnos nux-vomica tree.

The LD50 values for strychnine in animals
OrganismRouteLD50 (mg/kg)
Bird-wildOral16
CatIntravenous0.33
CatOral0.5
DogIntravenous0.8
DogSubcutaneous0.35
DogOral0.5
DuckOral3.0
MouseIntraperitoneal0.98
MouseIntravenous0.41
MouseOral2.0
MouseParenteral1.06
MouseSubcutaneous0.47
PigeonOral21.0
QuailOral23.0
RabbitIntravenous0.4
RabbitOral0.6
RatOral16.0
RatIntravenous2.35
The LD50 values for strychnine in humans
RouteLD50 (mg)
HumanOral100–120
HumanOral30–60
Human (child)Oral15
Human (adult)Oral50–100
Human (adult)Oral30–100
HumanIntravenously5–10 (approximate)
Strychnine was the first alkaloid to be identified in plants of the genus Strychnos , family Loganiaceae. Strychnos, named by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, is a genus of trees and climbing shrubs of the Gentianales order. The genus contains 196 various species and is distributed throughout the warm regions of Asia (58 species), America (64 species), and Africa (75 species). The seeds and bark of many plants in this genus contain strychnine.

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