Question

What is dicoumarol? What is the role of this substance in the clotting process and what are some examples of its toxicity?

Answer 1

Dicoumarol is basicallly an anticoagulant drug which prevents or decreases the risk of blood clot formation.

Role in clotting process: It competes with vitamin K due to its moecular structure and bind to substrates, thus blocking the formation of clotting factors and interrupting the production of prothrombin.

Examples of its toxicity: Dicoumarol may be found in some decomposing vegetables. It can lead to severe internal hemorrhages when these vegetables are accidentally ingested.