Structure-activity relationship between the hydrophobicity of alkali metal salts of warfarin [3-(alpha-acetonyl-benzyl)-4-hydroxycoumarin] and the effectiveness of the taste response to these salts in mice.

The taste responses to five alkali metal salts of warfarin, aqueous rodenticides, in laboratory mice were observed at a short measurement time of 20 min by the two-bottle preference test using a licking time monitoring system newly developed. It was made clear that the order of taste avoidance to the warfarin salts was as follows: cesium salt > rubidium salt > lithium salt > sodium salt > potassium salt. The relationship between the hydrophobicity of the warfarin salts and the effectiveness of the taste avoidance was analyzed. The effectiveness of the taste avoidance largely depended on the hydrophobicity.