Dear editor-in-chief
In their recent case report on the fatal ingestion of a yew species [Citation1], the authors name Taxus brevifolia in the title without substantiating their identification of the species.
The paper reports of the fatal ingestion of needles and tea from a tree identified only as Taxus (yew). Liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) confirmed the presence of taxine B and isotaxine B purported to be the primary sources of toxicity.
Concentrations of the taxine alkaloids that cause toxicity vary widely among and within species of the genus Taxus [Citation2,Citation3]. Pharmacological evidence demonstrates a significantly lower amount of alkaloid taxines in Taxus Brevifolia than in other species [Citation4,Citation5]. Documented evidence of human death from ingesting Taxus brevifolia is lacking, while literature that attributes the death to ingested taxines in other Taxus species, particularly the English yew (Taxus baccata) is abundant [Citation6,Citation7]. In addition, my experience and studies of the species [Citation8,Citation9] suggest that a misidentification is likely.
The use of a species name in the title of the paper creates an unnecessary distinction and misrepresents a species not known to be fatal if ingested by humans. Without appropriate identification as to the species of the yew needles that caused the fatal ingestion as described in this case report, the title misleads the reader and should be revised.
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Corvallis, OR, USA, Retired
[email protected]
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References
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- Vance NC, Kelsey RG, Sabin TE. Seasonal and tissue variation in taxane concentrations of taxus brevifolia. Phytochemistry. 1994;36(5):1241–1244. doi: 10.1016/s0031-9422(00)89644-2.
- Walters-Vertucci C, Crane J, Vance NC. Physiology of taxus brevifolia seeds in relation to seed storage characteristics. Physiol Plant. 1996;98(1):1–12. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-3054.1996.tb00669.x.