Effects of toxin T-544 from the Karwinskia humboldtiana (buckthorn) plant upon mouse embryos explanted at 11 days.

Eleven-day mouse embryos were exposed to the K. humboldtiana toxin T-544 for 24 hr. At the end of the culture period, embryos were examined grossly for malformations and biochemically for altered protein levels. There was a significant difference in malformations in those embryos exposed to 0.05 and 0.2 microgram/ml of toxin compared with controls. Embryo protein content was significantly lower in those embryos exposed to 0.1 microgram/ml of T-544 compared with control group.