palytoxin

American  

[pal-uh-tak-suhn] / ˌpæl əˈtak sən /

noun

plural

palytoxins

1. Pathology. an extremely poisonous substance, occurring in various marine species of the Pacific, most notably corals of the genus Palythoa.

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palytoxin Scientific  

/ păl′ə-tŏk′sĭn /

1. An extremely powerful toxin occurring in corals of the genus Palythoa of the South Pacific. Palytoxin disrupts the flow of ions across cell membranes and is the most potent known naturally occurring poison, being rapidly fatal to humans in doses of 4 micrograms. One of the most complex known nonprotein substances, it has more contiguous carbon atoms (115) than any other naturally occurring molecule. Chemical formula: C ₁₂₉ H ₂₂₃ N ₃ O ₅₄ .

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Example Sentences

In the span of a week in 2000, 11 people who ate fish in Japan were treated for palytoxin exposure.

From Washington Post • Jul. 28, 2017

“I don’t want to create panic,” said Aurelia Tubaro, a toxicologist at the University of Trieste in Italy. That said, she considers the risk of palytoxin poisonings to be underestimated.

From Washington Post • Jul. 28, 2017

Algae, not Palythoa corals, contaminated the food. “The palytoxin group of toxins are found in many organisms,” Dell'Aversano said.

From Washington Post • Jul. 28, 2017

Luckily, there are no records of anyone dying from palytoxin inhalation. 

From Washington Post • Jul. 28, 2017

He compared the creation of palytoxin, one of the most toxic molecules known, “to Beethoven writing his symphony.”

From Scientific American • Jul. 5, 2012