Cicutoxin is a poison

Poison

In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....

ous polyyne

Polyyne

The polyynes are a group of organic compounds with alternating single and triple bonds. The simplest example is diacetylene or buta-1,3-diyne, HC≡C-C≡CH....

 and alcohol

Alcohol

In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....

 found in various plants, most notably water hemlock (Cicuta

Cicuta

Cicuta, commonly known as water hemlock, is a small genus of four species of highly poisonous plants in the family Apiaceae. They are perennial herbaceous plants which grow up to tall, having distinctive small green or white flowers arranged in an umbrella shape . Plants in this genus may also be...

species). It is structurally related to the oenanthotoxin

Oenanthotoxin

Oenanthotoxin is a toxin extracted from hemlock water dropwort and other plants of the genus Oenanthe. It is a central nervous system poison, and acts as a noncompetitive gamma-aminobutyric acid antagonist. This toxin played some role in euthanasia in ancient Sardinia, for inducing risus...

 of hemlock water dropwort.

It causes death by disruption of the central nervous system

Central nervous system

The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...

. It is a potent, noncompetitive gamma-aminobutyric acid

Gamma-aminobutyric acid

γ-Aminobutyric acid is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. It plays a role in regulating neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system...

 (GABA) receptor

GABA receptor

The GABA receptors are a class of receptors that respond to the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid , the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate central nervous system...

 antagonist. In humans, cicutoxin rapidly produces symptoms of nausea

Nausea

Nausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an involuntary urge to vomit. It often, but not always, precedes vomiting...

, emesis and abdominal pain

Abdominal pain

Abdominal pain can be one of the symptoms associated with transient disorders or serious disease. Making a definitive diagnosis of the cause of abdominal pain can be difficult, because many diseases can result in this symptom. Abdominal pain is a common problem...

, typically within 60 minutes of ingestion. This can lead to tremors, seizures, and death.