Working together to eliminate cyanide poisoning, konzo, tropical ataxic neuropathy (TAN) and neurolathyrism Cassava Cyanide Diseases & Neurolathyrism Network (ISSN 1838-8817 (Print): ISSN 1838-8825 (Online) Issue Number 22, December 2013 Contents Second workshop on toxico-nutritional Second workshop on toxico-nutritional neurodegenerations konzo and neurodegenerations konzo and lathyrism ......... 1 neurolathyrism Removal of poisonous cyanogens from pounded Recent advances, innovations and cassava leaves at ambient temperature ............ 2 engagement Democratic Republic of Congo – Kinshasa, Lathyrus in Poland – origin, breeding, (dates to be notified soon) research status and consumption ………...3 Detoxification of cassava leaf for utilization Most universities are founded with a civic in food or feed ............................................... 7 purpose. Most donors expect changes in people’s lives. We have a fundamental obligation to apply our Recent and Historical Status of grass pea skills, resources, and energy to address the most (Lathyrus sativus L.) in Turkey ........................... 8 challenging issues in our society (DTK & TRUCEN). CCDNN Coordination: Toxic diseases associated with Cassava (Manihot Prof Fernand LAMBEIN, Coordinator esculenta) i.e. konzo and ataxic polyneuropathy, Ghent University, Institute for plant Biotechnology and grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) i.e. neurolathyrism Outreach (IPBO) pose serious threats to human life and development Technologiepark 3, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium under the tropics; this has been documented as a Phone: +32 484 417 5005 “fact” in Africa, Asia, and South America. E-mail: [email protected] or Both cassava (Manihot esculenta) and grass [email protected] pea (Lathyrus sativus) are important crops for Dr. Delphin DIASOLUA NGUDI millions of people around the globe. Both crops are Ghent University, Institute for plant Biotechnology adaptable to variable environments, tolerant to Outreach (IPBO) drought and are sustainable crops for human Technologiepark 3, B-9052 G hent, Belgium nutrition with little agronomic inputs. Cassava roots Phone: +32 92 64 52 82 can be harvested all year around whenever Email: [email protected] necessary and need no storage facilities. Post Editorial Board : harvest processing is required to remove the toxic J.P. Banea, Julie Cliff, Arnaldo Cumbana, Ian Denton, D. cyanogenic glycosides and to yield the cheapest Diasolua Ngudi, F. Lambein. J. Howard Bradbury, staple food rich in carbohydrates. N.L.V.Mlingi, Humberto Muquingue, Bala Nambisan, Grass pea is the most drought tolerant Dulce Nhassico, S.L.N. Rao, D. Tshala-Katumbay commercial legume and also an outstanding fixer of Country Contacts: atmospheric nitrogen, adaptable to marginal soils Cameroon: E.E. Agbor; and the source of the cheapest dietary protein. D.R. Congo: D. Diasolua Ngudi and J; Nsimire ; However, a neuro-excitatory amino acid beta-ODAP Indonesia: A. Hidayat; is present in the seeds in variable amounts, making Mozambique: Anabela Zacarias; this survival food during droughts and famine a Nigeria: M.N. Adindu and P.N. Okafor mixed blessing. For several years, Cassava Cyanide Diseases Website: www.anu.edu.au/BoZo/CCDN (temporarily) http://www.ugent.be/we/genetics/ipbo/en/ and Neurolathyrism Network (CCDNN) has shared information and concerns about food security and safety in the tropics as well as toxicities and CCDN News will consider for publication short articles and letters (1-3 pages A 4 double spaced) in English. Because CCDN News is disabilities associated with the consumption of a newsletter, full-size original papers or reviews cannot be poorly processed cassava or grass pea. For the first considered for publication. Material published in CCDN News may time in 2009, konzo and neurolathyrism be freely reproduced, but always indicate that it comes from CCDN researchers, and various stakeholders, gathered in News. Please send all correspondence to the CCDNN Coordinator, Ghent (Belgium) to share research findings and Prof Fernand Lambein, Ghent University, Belgium. discuss strategies to tackle the two seemingly 1 neglected but preventable diseases. It is time to removed in the urine. Large cyanide intake from a discuss our research and meeting outcomes have to monotonous diet of bitter cassava has long been be translated into policies or research advances. It associated with the occurrence of konzo2,3 and the is time to think about strategy to affect policy and recent prevention of konzo in seven villages in the serve as vectors of change and impact on people’s Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)4-6 by use of lives. the wetting method that greatly reduces cyanogen Africa shares the highest burden of cassava and intake, has confirmed excessive cyanide intake as grass pea related disabilities. African scientists have the source of the konzo problem. engaged in cassava and grass pea research, with support from international scientists, to achieve Konzo is an irreversible paralysis of the legs that highest levels of education and research skills in occurs mainly in children and young women, who various fields of nutrition, medicine (basics, clinical, live on a monotonous low protein diet of bitter and epidemiology), agriculture, and social sciences. cassava. The importance of animal protein in The benefits of this type of global engagement and preventing the occurrence of konzo with prevalence support have to be demonstrated. This can be done rates up to 7% was shown in three different konzo on the African continent. We intend to follow on the outbreaks in Mozambique, Tanzania and the DRC. Ghent workshop with a “Second workshop on People of the same ethnic group as those who got toxico-nutritional neurodegenerations konzo konzo, who lived only 5 km away, did not get konzo and neurolathyrism: Recent advances, because in Mozambique they had fish from the innovations, and engagement” in Kinshasa, sea,7 in Tanzania they had fish from Lake Victoria8 Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), dates and and in the DRC they had animal protein from the place to be decided and communicated soon. forest.9 Thus konzo can be prevented by reduced Recent advances, innovations, and cyanide intake and/or adequate nutrition, in engagement will be discussed around the following particular, an adequate supply of S-containing tentative sessions: (1) nutritional epidemiology and amino acids to detoxify ingested cyanide. toxicity, (2) cassava food safety for an urbanistic Africa, (3) bringing grass pea and cassava together: We have now found that cyanogens are virtually risks and benefits, (4) breeding for crop completely removed from cassava leaves by improvement and increased safety, (5) interventions following three simple consecutive steps as follows: and policy: changing the environments and improve (1) pounding, (2) standing for 2 hours in the sun or 5 people’s lives. A round table discussion will consider hours in the shade and (3) washing three times in the need for additional research and the way water. Using four different cassava cultivars, we forward to set up an international committee to found that the mean residual total cyanide content advice governments and funding agencies. after steps 1, 2 and 3 were 28%, 12% and 1% Welcome to Kinshasa 2014. respectively. The pounded, washed leaves which Desiré Tshala-Katumbay, MD PhD are free of cyanogens retain their bright green Email: [email protected] colour and texture.10 It is hoped that this mild method of removing cyanogens from cassava On behalf of leaves, may be a useful alternative to boiling Jean-Pierre Banea Mayambu, MD PhD pounded leaves in water, which would save on fuel Head of National Nutritional Program for cooking and much more importantly would (PRONANUT), improve the nutritional status of the cassava eating Ministry of Health, DRC population of tropical Africa. Chairperson of the local organizing committee. References 1 Achidi, AU, Ajayi OA, Bokanga M, Maziya-Dixon B. (2005) The use of cassava leaves as food for Africa. Ecology of Food and Nutrition 44, 423-435. Removal of poisonous cyanogens from 2 pounded cassava leaves at ambient Cliff J, Martensson J. Lundquist P, Rosling H, temperature Sorbo B.(1985). Association of high cyanide and low sulphur intake in cassava induced spastic paraparesis. Lancet 11, 1211-1213. Cassava leaves are used particularly by the 3 Howlett W P, Brubaker G R, Mlingi N, Rosling H. Congolese population of central Africa and in (1990) Konzo, an epidemic upper motor neuron Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea and there is disease studied in Tanzania. Brain 113, 223–235. moderate use in other tropical African countries. 4 Banea JP, Nahimana G, Mandombi C, Bradbury The traditional method of removing cyanogens from JH, Denton IC, Kuwa N. (2012) Control of konzo in cassava leaves is by pounding in a pestle and DRC using the wetting method on cassava flour. mortar followed by boiling in water for about 30 Food Chem. Toxicol. 50, 1517-1523. 1 minutes. On boiling, the bright green colour of the 5 Banea JP, Bradbury JH, Mandombi C, Nahimana leaves becomes dull green and there is D, Denton IC, Kuwa N, Tshala Katumbay D. (2013) considerable loss of vitamins and protein, including Control of konzo by detoxification of cassava flour in S-containing amino acids present in the protein in three villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo. the leaves. The S-containing amino acids Food Chem. Toxicol., 60, 506-513. (methionine and cysteine/cystine) are needed for 6 Banea JP, Bradbury JH, Mandombi C, Nahimana detoxification in the body of poisonous cyanide (CN) D, Denton IC, Foster MP, Kuwa N, Tshala Katumbay which is converted to thiocyanate (SCN) and is D. (2014) Cyanogen removal from cassava flour 2 using the wetting method prevents konzo in the DRC. Food Chem Toxicol., submitted for publication. Origin 7 Ministry of Health Mozambique (1984) In Poland grass pea is grown on a small scale in Mantakassa; an epidemic of spastic paraparesis eastern Poland. It is cultivated as vegetable for associated with chronic cyanide intoxication in a consuming and feeding purposes. According to data cassava staple area in Mozambique.