Description:
Dicoumarol (INN) or dicumarol (USAN) is a naturally occurring anticoagulant that functions as a functional vitamin K depleter (similar to warfarin, a drug that dicoumarol inspired). It is also used in biochemical experiments as an inhibitor of reductases. Like all 4-hydroxycoumarin drugs it is a competitive inhibitor of vitamin K epoxide reductase, an enzyme that recycles vitamin K, thus causing depletion of active vitamin K in blood. This prevents the formation of the active form of prothrombin and several other coagulant enzymes. These compounds are not antagonists of Vitamin K directly—as they are in pharmaceutical uses—but rather promote depletion of vitamin K in bodily tissues allowing vitamin K's mechanism of action as a potent medication for dicoumarol toxicity. The mechanism of action of Vitamin K along with the toxicity of dicoumarol are measured with the prothrombin time (PT) blood test. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dicoumarol).
Handling:
Providing storage is as stated on the product vial and the vial is kept tightly sealed, the product can be stored for up to 24 months.
Wherever possible, you should prepare and use solutions on the same day. However, if you need to make up stock solutions in advance,
we recommend that you store the solution as aliquots in tightly sealed vials at -20°C. Generally, these will be useable for up to one
month. Before use, and prior to opening the vial we recommend that you allow your product to equilibrate to room temperature for at
least 1 hour.