hyenanchin

Hyenanchin is a picrotoxane sesquiterpene neurotoxin and the hydroxy metabolite of tutin (also known as hydroxytutin). It is naturally found in the phloem sap of the New Zealand tutu plant (*Coriaria arborea*) and the South African plant *Hyaenanche globosa*. The compound is a significant food safety concern in New Zealand, where it contaminates honey when honeybees collect honeydew from passionvine hoppers (*Scolypopa australis*) feeding on tutu sap. As a picrotoxin-like molecule, hyenanchin acts as a potent antagonist of GABA-A receptors, leading to central nervous system overstimulation, which can manifest as seizures and other neurological symptoms in cases of toxic honey poisoning. It has been the subject of clinical pharmacokinetic studies (e.g., NCT03826537) to determine human absorption and metabolic rates, aiding in the establishment of regulatory limits for honey contamination.

Other names

hydroxytutin2-hydroxytutinmellitoxin