Vegetable Food Toxicants and Their Harmful Effects on Health
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Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2020) Special Issue-11: 1923-1936 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Special Issue-11 pp. 1923-1936 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Original Research Article Vegetable Food Toxicants and their Harmful Effects on Health Amreena Sultan1*, Baseerat Afroza1, Shahnaz Mufti1, Ajaz A. Malik1, Najmu Sakib2, Afroza Akhter1, Sayed Azrah Indrabi1 and Insha Javeed1 1Department of Vegetable Science, 2Department of Plant Pathology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar Campus-190025, Srinagar, J&K, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT Plant toxins are substances produced as secondary metabolites that are identical to extra cellular bacterial toxins in their properties. They show both useful and harmful effects to human beings. They show a wide range of side effects from minor itching, nausea, vomiting to adverse effects like psychosis, teratogenicity, arrhythmias. Natural toxins are present in numerous types of plants. These types of compounds whenever consumed in large quantity or when they are not cooked properly may lead to food K e yw or ds poisoning. Plant toxins are found naturally in vegetables and fruits which have been the common food sources. Natural toxins can also be found in Plant toxin, Secondary plants because of natural choice as well as new reproduction methods which metabolites, Alkaloids, enhance these defensive mechanisms. Different kinds of natural toxins can Flavonoids be present in various parts of a plant like roots, tubers, stems, fruits, buds and foliage. There are many classes of toxic compounds like phenols, alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins, anti-vitamins, proteins, etc. plant toxins are descri bed according to the organ system in the human body which they affect, e.g., cardiotoxins, neurotoxins, etc. The degree of toxicity also depends on the location, climatic factors, growing season, variety and age. The people are advised to be cautious in the amount of intake and are recommended to observe the effects after ingestion. Introduction minor itching, nausea, vomiting to adverse effects like psychosis, paralysis, Plant toxins are substances produced as teratogenicity, arrhythmias. They are useful secondary metabolites that are identical to in production of cosmetics, ulcers, menstrual extra cellular bacterial toxins in their cramping, cancer and in treatment of man properties. They show both useful and ailments and diseases. Toxins may enter into harmful effects in human beings and animals. the by body either by inhalation, swallowing They show a wide range of side effects from or by contact. The action is based on their 1923 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2020) Special Issue-11: 1923-1936 chemical constituents which are classified several plants produces nonspecific clinical into alkaloids, phenols, peptides, amino acids, signs that could not be distinguished from glycosides, proteins, oxalates, anti-vitamins, other disease conditions. Additionally, death tannins, volatile ether layers etc. They act by caused by toxic plant ingestion frequently altering specific mechanisms involving does not result in characteristic post-mortem enzymes, receptors and even genetic material lesions, due to relatively limited numbers of at particular cells and tissues. They can be tests are available to identify the plant toxic modified to exemplify improved affinity and compounds in post mortem or ante-mortem efficacy for health endorsement. Poisonous samples. In many instances, the simplest way plants have a seed, root, leaf, stalk, fruit or to help the diagnosis of the plant poisoning is juice where even a relatively small amount, to confirm the existence of the poisonous taken either internally or eternally, can lead plant in the environment, ensure that the plant to injury to the human body. In some species was ingested and correlate clinical findings, if the poisonous constituents occur throughout it is possible, with those known to be the whole plant. In others they are associated with the suspect plant (Deependra concentrated in one or more parts. Plants singh et al., 2013). evolve to generate natural products as a means of defence against animals (Saravanan The degree of toxicity also depends on the et al., 2016) location (including height above sea level), climatic factors including the local micro Plants have a wide range of climate (light, warmth, humidity), the pharmacologically effective phytochemicals. growing season, type of soil, fertilization, Many of these have been discovered to be plant variety and age. The condition of the really helpful for the treatment of a variety of poisonous plant material is equally important human as well as animal diseases (e.g. (dried, chewed, cooked, as tea). The dose of colchicines, atropine and digitoxin); although course is the most important factor (Table 1– few plant phytochemicals produce harmful 4). effects after exposure. The onset of harmful effects could be really immediate or taken a Classification of plant toxins little time to develop. Fortunately, among thousands of plants present in the Alkaloids include indole alkaloids, environment, relatively few of the plants only pyrrolizidine alkaloids, tropane alkaloids, cause acute and life-threatening diseases opium alkaloids, vicine and covicine when ingested. The variety of chemical alkaloids. components in the plants is really amazing and in most of the cases, still the function a Glycosidal toxins include cardiac glycosides, specific phytochemical substance, i.e. the goitrogenic glycosides, anthraquinonr normal ecology of the plant remains glycosides, mustard oil glycosides, saponin unknown. The inclusion of toxic glycosides, cyanogenetic glycosides. phytochemical substances in the plants is considered to confer some extent of defense Tannins like pyrogallol. against plant potential predators like ruminants and insects. Proteins like lectin, abrin, ricin, cicutoxin, anisatin, gelonin, falcarinol, oenotheatoxin, The medical diagnosis of plant poisonings is etc. very challenging since the ingestion of 1924 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2020) Special Issue-11: 1923-1936 Antivitamins like thiaminases. poisonous cyanogenic glycosides, called Phytoestrogens like coumestrol. amygdalin. Amygdalin derived from aromatic amino acid phenylalanine. It is hydrolysed by Volatile etheric layers such as ushuriol, photo ᵝ-glucosidase and amygdalase to afford L- sensitizing substances including hypericin. mandelonitrile and gentiobiose. Mandelonitrile is further hydrolysed to Enzyme inhibitors like cholinesterase hydrogen cyanide and benzaldehyde. inhibitors, protease inhibitors, amylase Hydrogen cyanide causes cyanide poisoning. inhibitors. The quantities of amygdalin present in the seeds not enough to be dangerous to human Others include lathyrogens, Anti-thiamin health, but consumption of more quantity of compounds, Avidin. seeds may lead to a fatal dose (Saravanan, 2016). Various types of toxins produced by different vegetable crops (Fig. 1–18) Lotaustralin Glycoalkaloids Is a cyanogenic glycoside found in austral trefoil, cassava and lima bean. It is the Cyanogenic glycosides glycoside of methyl ethyl ketone cyanohydrins. Lotaustralin hydrolysed by the Glucosinolates enzyme linamerase to form glucose and toxic compound hydrogen cyanide. Hydrogen Tomatine cyanide causes a drop in blood pressure rapid respiration, rapid pulse, headache, dizziness, Pyrrolizidine alkaloids mental confusion, vomiting, stomach pains and diarrohea. Zucchini and Cucurbitacins Linamarin Amylase inhibitors Is another cyanogenic glycoside present in Lectins the leaves and roots of lima beans, cassava and flax. It is decomposed by gut flora in the Coumarins human intestine to form hydrogen cyanide. Consumption of food prepared from Furocoumarins insufficiently processed plant material containing linamarin to produce dietry Safrozole toxicity, called Konzo disease. Dietary exposure to linamarin was also been reported Myristicins as a risk factor in developing diabetes and glucose intolerance. Toxins in food plants Oxalyl-di-amino propionic acid (ODAP) Amygdalin This is a structural analogue for the The seeds of apple, apricot, plum, bitter neurotransmitter glutamate found in the grass almond and peach contain small amount of a pea and Indian pea. It is the neurotoxic amino 1925 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2020) Special Issue-11: 1923-1936 acid responsible for motor neuron Oxalic acid degeneration syndrome, neurolathyrism, characterized by pyramidal tract neurons in Present in spinach, rhubarb (0.2-1.3%),tea the area of cortex controlling legs and in the (0.3-2.0%), spinach (1.7%), purslane and in spinal cord. As a result, lower body paralysis. parsley (1.7%). It can bind with calcium and minerals, making them insoluble and thus Phytohaemagglutinin reducing the bioavailability. Consumption of foods containing oxalates could cause kidney It is a lectin found in high concentration in stones, decreased bone growth, renal toxicity, uncooked red and white kidney beans and in diarrhea, convulsions and coma. low concentration in green, broad and Approximately 65% of kidney stones consists common beans. of Calcium oxalates. Phytohaemagglutinin has complex Ipomeamarone oligosaccharide conyaining mannose, galactose and N-acetylglucosamine. It is Is found in kumara, which is a member of the causing severe stomach ache, diarrhea, and sweet potato family. It can produce harmful vomiting in humans when consumed as raw toxins due