Flocoumafen is a fluorinated, second-generation

anticoagulant An anticoagulant, commonly known as a blood thinner, is a chemical substance that prevents or reduces the coagulation of blood, prolonging the clotting time. Some occur naturally in blood-eating animals, such as leeches and mosquitoes, which ...

of the

4-hydroxycoumarin 4-Hydroxycoumarin is a coumarin derivative with a hydroxy group at the 4-position. Occurrence 4-Hydroxycoumarin is an important fungal metabolite from the precursor coumarin, and its production leads to further fermentative production of the n ...

vitamin K antagonist Vitamin K antagonists (VKA) are a group of substances that reduce blood clotting by reducing the action of vitamin K. The term "vitamin K antagonist" is technically a misnomer, as the drugs do not directly antagonize the action of vitamin K in t ...

type. It is a second generation (i.e., high potency) chemical in this class, used commercially as a

rodenticide Rodenticides are chemicals made and sold for the purpose of killing rodents. While commonly referred to as "rat poison", rodenticides are also used to kill mice, woodchucks, chipmunks, porcupines, nutria, beavers, and voles. Some rodenticides ...

. It has a very high toxicity and is restricted to indoor use and sewers (in the UK). This restriction is mainly due to the increased risk to non-target species, especially due to its tendency to bio-accumulate in exposed organisms. Studies have shown that rodents resistant to first-generation anticoagulants can be adequately controlled with flocoumafen. It was synthesized in 1984 by Shell International Chemical.Flocoumafen -- A new anticoagulant rodenticide
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Toxicity

In most rodents, the is 1 mg/kg, but it can vary between species: from 0.12 mg/kg in the

common vole The common vole (''Microtus arvalis'') is a European rodent. Distribution and habitat The common vole is hardly restricted in means of distribution and habitat and inhabits large areas of Eurasia but, apart from the Orkney vole, not the Br ...

(''Microtus arvalis'') to more than 10 mg/kg in the Cairo spiny mouse (''Acomys cahirinus''). For dogs the LD₅₀ is 0.075-0.25 mg/kg.

Antidote

The

antidote An antidote is a substance that can counteract a form of poisoning. The term ultimately derives from the Greek term φάρμακον ἀντίδοτον ''(pharmakon antidoton)'', "(medicine) given as a remedy". An older term in English which is ...

to flocoumafen is vitamin K₁, which must be administered over a period of several weeks or even months.

References

External links

ICSC: Flocoumafen
{{rodenticides Rodenticides Phenol ethers Trifluoromethyl compounds Chromones Tetralins Hydroxyarenes Vitamin K antagonists Anticoagulant rodenticides 4-Hydroxycoumarins