Abstract
Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned on March 4. On March 13, the British government revealed that it is believed that a type of Novichok agent was the chemical culprit behind the attempted murder.
By this action, interest in a new group of highly toxic organophosphate compounds developed in the former Soviet Union during the Cold War era. Novichok agents were developed during the Cold War period and have never been used on the battlefield.
Novichok agents belong to the class of organophosphate acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. These chemical compounds inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, preventing the normal breakdown of the acetylcholine, neurotransmitter in cholinergic nervous system.
Novichok agents are effecting very rapidly, penetrate through the skin and respiratory system.