A syrupy, colorless, fuming ptomaine, C5H14N2, formed by the carboxylation of lysine by bacteria in decaying animal flesh.
cadaverine
Dictionary:
ca·dav·er·ine (kə-dăv'ə-rēn')  |
| Dental Dictionary: cadaverine |
n
A foul-smelling diamine formed by bacterial decarboxylation of lysine. It is poisonous and irritating to the skin.
| Veterinary Dictionary: cadaverine |
A relatively nontoxic ptomaine, C5H14N2, formed by decarboxylation of lysine.
| Wikipedia: Cadaverine |
| Cadaverine | |
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| CAS number | [] |
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| Molecular formula | C5H14N2 |
| Molar mass | 102.178 |
| Density | 0.870 g/cm³ |
| Melting point |
9 °C |
| Boiling point |
178-180 °C |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox references |
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Cadaverine is a foul-smelling molecule produced by protein hydrolysis during putrefaction of animal tissue. Cadaverine is a toxic[1] diamine with the formula NH2(CH2)5NH2, which is similar to putrescine. Cadaverine is also known by the names 1,5-pentanediamine and pentamethylenediamine.
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History
Putrescine and cadaverine were first described by the Berlin physician Ludwig Brieger in 1885.
Production
Cadaverine is the decarboxylation product of the amino acid lysine.
However, this diamine is not purely associated with putrefaction. It is also produced in small quantities by living beings. It is partially responsible for the distinctive smell of urine and semen.
Clinical significance
Elevated levels of cadaverine have been found in the urine of some patients with defects in lysine metabolism.
Toxicity
Cadaverine is toxic in large doses. In rats it had a low acute oral toxicity of more than 2000 mg/kg body weight[2].
See also
Notes
References
- Lewis, Robert Alan (1998). Lewis' Dictionary of Toxicology. CRC Press. ISBN 1566702232.
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Learn More
 | ptomaines |
| decay of organic matter (process – in biology) |
| Diamine |
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Cadaverine". Read more |
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