Mistletoe: Kiss of Love or Death?

Using Thin-Layer Chromatography with Compact Mass Spectrometry

A sprig of mistletoe symbolizes a tradition of romance; however, reputed to be the “kiss of  death,” mistletoe is said by some to be so poisonous that humans can be killed if they  ingest the leaves or berries.

In the spirit of the Holiday season and to ensure that mistletoe kisses are enjoyed and are ‘non-toxic’, Nigel Sousou and Jack Henion employed the Advion TLC/CMS system to  analyze a commercial Tincture of Mistletoe ethanolic extract to determine whether  tyramine is present in the extract of mistletoe.