Toxic effect of the fruit of Passiflora adenopoda D. C. on humans: phytochemical determination.

Human poisoning caused by ingestion of unripe fruit of Passiflora ade/lOpoda is he re reported, apparently for the first time. HCN is pl'Ocluced in the pericarp and aril of tbe unripe fruit, as well as in tbe primary stem, petiole, br;¡cts and stipules but not in tendrils. HCN yield has been reported previously in Passifloraceae only from vegetative parts. The pericarp and arils of complctely ripe fmit of Passijlol'a adenopoda were found free of HCN. The presence of a cyanogenetic B-glycosidc is suggested in P. aderlopoda. It is welI known that most Passifloraceae yield HCN, a fad which has considerable chemotaxonomical significance ( 1 ) . Nevertheless, most of the studies published are qualitative and refer only to the vegetittive parts, especially lcaves (2, 3, 6, 10) . In February, 1971 , five children suffered poisoning in Cartago, Costa Rica. One of them died and the autopsy revealed fragments of the green pericarp and seeds of a fruit later dctermined as Passiflora adenopoda D. C. Since the literature consultcd contains no information on the production of HCN by fruits of Passifloraceae, we decided to investigate the matter, using material of the same plant that caused the intoxications. '" Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.