Poisonous Plant Research Lab

Research Interests

The identification of toxic compounds in poisonous plants and the development of analytical methods to detect and measure toxic compounds in plant and animal tissue samples.

Significant Accomplishments

·          Isolated and identified the abortifacient compound in ponderosa pine needles as the labdane diterpene known as isocupressic acid.

·          Develop methods of analysis for the measurement of larkspur alkaloids in plant material and animal tissue samples using infrared spectroscopy and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry methods.

·          Developed methods for the analysis of the locoweed toxin, swainsonine, for the analysis of plant material using a rapid flow injection mass spectrometry procedure.

·          Identified and characterized the pyrrolizidine alkaloids of Senecio madagascariensis which is an invasive and toxic weed problem on the Hawaii islands.