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The information in this profile may be out-of-date. It was last revised in 1996. EXTOXNET no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

Please visit the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) to find updated pesticide fact sheets. If you don't find a fact sheet related to your question, feel free to call 1-800-858-7378. NPIC is open five days a week from 8:00am to 12:00pm Pacific Time.

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E X T O X N E T

Extension Toxicology Network

Pesticide Information Profiles

A Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices of Cornell University, Oregon State University, the University of Idaho, and the University of California at Davis and the Institute for Environmental Toxicology, Michigan State University. Major support and funding was provided by the USDA/Extension Service/National Agricultural Pesticide Impact Assessment Program.

EXTOXNET primary files maintained and archived at Oregon State University

Revised 9/95.

SCILLIROSIDE

REGULATORY STATUS: Scilliroside production was discontinued worldwide in 1980. It was a Restricted Use Pesticide. It was registered in the U.S. for control of the Norway rat (223).

INTRODUCTION: Scilliroside is a rodenticide in the glycoside family of chemicals (227). It is a botanical compound extracted from the bulb of the Mediterranean squill plant (309). Most effective against Norway rats, it was also used to control black rats, house mice, long-tailed field mice, and field voles (345). The EPA classified it as Toxicity Class I- highly toxic. Products containing scilliroside bore the Signal Word "Caution" (223). It was available as a ready-to-use bait or as granules.

TOXICOLOGICAL EFFECTS

• Acute Toxicity: Scilliroside is a highly toxic chemical. The dose at which half of the test animals die, the oral LD50, is 0.43 mg/kg for female rats, 0.7 mg/kg for male rats, and 0.35 mg/kg for mice (223, 31). Pigs and cats survived doses of 16 mg/kg (223). Scilliroside is irritating to the skin (345). Scilliroside affects heart muscle contractions. It is also a potent emetic in most mammals, causing them to vomit and avoid absorbing the toxin. It is specifically toxic to continuous feeders like rats because of their inability to vomit. Rats are relatively resistant to the cardiac actions of scilliroside. Instead, they show protracted convulsions and muscular weakness at doses of 1.5-2.0 mg/kg intraveneously. Cardiac glycosides, like scilliroside, may also cause nausea, vomiting, headache, abdominal pain, confusion or convulsions.
• Chronic Toxicity: No information currently available.
• Reproductive Effects: Newborn and young infant heart muscles are less susceptible than adults to the effects of cardiac glycosides such as scilliroside (346).
• Teratogenic Effects: No information currently available.
• Mutagenic Effects: No information currently available.
• Carcinogenic Effects: No information currently available.
• Organ Toxicity: Scilliroside is a cardiac glycoside, so it can cause abnormal hearbeat rhythms. It may also affect the nervous system and secretory organs (346).
• Fate in Humans and Animals: Cardiac glycosides, such as scilliroside, are metabolized by the liver, excreted into the intestine and then absorbed into the blood. Intestinal flora may also play a role in metabolism, causing large variations in fate among exposed individuals. It may also be eliminated, unmetabolized by the kidney. The half-life in the body is from five to six days (346).

ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS

• Effects on Birds: Scilliroside is moderately toxic to some birds. Fowl survive doses of 400 mg/kg/day (223). Certain birds learn to avoid insects contaminated with scilliroside because of its strong emetic characteristic (347).
• Effects on Aquatic Organisms: No information currently available.
• Effects on Other Animals (Nontarget species): Scilliroside is not toxic to many mammal species because of its strong emetic characteristic (223).

ENVIRONMENTAL FATE

• Breakdown of Chemical in Soil and Groundwater: No information currently available.
• Breakdown of Chemical in Surface Water: No information currently available.
• Breakdown of Chemical in Vegetation: No information currently available.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND GUIDELINES

Scilliroside is sensitive to heat and should be used at temperatures below 80 degrees C. Its shelf life is one to five years if it is protected from strong light and low pH conditions (347).

Physical Properties:

• Appearance: Scilliroside is a bright yellow crystalline solid. It is hydroscopic and non-corrosive (1).
• Chemical Name: 3B, 6-B-6-acetyloxy-3-(Beta-D-Gluco-pyranosyloxy)-8,14-dihydroxybufa-4,20,22-trienolide
• CAS Number: 507-60-8
• Molecular Weight: 620.69
• Water Solubility: Not Available
• Solubility in Other Solvents: alcohols, ethylene gylcol, dioxane, and glacial acetic acid. Practically insoluble in diethyl ether and petroleum ether
• Melting Point: 168-170 degrees C
• Vapor Pressure: Not Available
• Partition Coefficient: Not Available
• Adsorption Coefficient: Not Available

Exposure Guidelines:

• ADI: Not Available
• MCL: Not Available
• RfD: Not Available
• PEL: Not Available
• HA: Not Available
• TLV: Not Available

BASIC MANUFACTURER

Scilliroside is no longer produced.

REFERENCES

References for the information in this PIP can be found in Reference List Number 10