Toxicology of cycasin.
نویسندگان
چکیده
These compounds are extractable from seeds and roots of cycad plants Cycads are ancient gymnospermous plants which are con sidered an intermediate form in plant evolution from ferns to flowering plants. Study of fossils indicates that cycads were distributed widely throughout the world in the early mesozoic period, i.e., about 200 million years ago. The cycads which can be found today are essentially limited to the tropical and subtropical zones around the globe (8, 51). Although this review emphasizes recent developments in cycad research, it is important to realize that toxic properties of seeds and roots of cycads were known to populations which used them as food long before the toxic principles were identified. Strikingly similar methods for removing the poison were apparently employed by these populations. In the course of our studies with cycads, we have examined samples of cycad flour prepared by several families on Guam for human consumption and have found it nontoxic and noncarcinogenic in experimental animals (61). Apparently the methods em ployed by these people removed the greater part, if not all, of the poison from the seeds. An extensive literature review of the chemistry and toxicity of cycads is available and contains accounts of the uses of cycads as food and medicines (58). The paper has been subdivided into five sections, reviewing the following aspects of cycad toxicity: (a) isolation of toxic principle, (b) neurotoxicity, (c) carcinogenicity, (d) metabolic conversion of cycasin to MAM in vivo, and (e) biologic effects. The review closes with several general comments, including suggestions for important work to be done in the future.
منابع مشابه
Tumor induction in C57BL-6 mice by a single administration of cycasin.
The incidence and localization of tumors in newborn and adult mice of the C57BL/6 strain that received cycasin were compared with similar groups of rats on which results were previously reported. In the present report the newborn mice received single subcutaneous injections of 0.5 mg cycasin/gm body weight within 24 hours after birth. Each adult animal received one dose of 0 .3-1 .0 mg cycasin/...
متن کاملMutagenicity of the naturally occurring carcinogen cycasin and synthetic methylazoxymethanol conjugates in Salmonella typhimurium.
The aglycone methylazoxymethanol of the naturally occurring carcinogenic glucoside, cycasin, has previously been shown to be mutagenic, but cycasin per se has not. In this work, cycasin was demonstrated to be mutagenic using a modification of the Ames Salmonella test in which it was preincubated with beta-glucosidase and the tester strain in liquid medium. The mutagenicity of cycasin to six his...
متن کاملThere was no significant difference in the incidence of tumors between newborn and adult hamsters receiving a single administration of cycasin and between adult hamsters
Three groups of newborn hamsters received a single s.c. injection of 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 rug cycasin/g body weight within 24 hr after birth. Two groups of adult hamsters each received one dose of 0.1 or 0.15 rug cycasin/g body weight by stomach tube. Another three groups of adult hamsters received two to four doses of 0.1 rug cycasin/g body weight by stomach tube at intervals of 1 month. There wa...
متن کاملSimilarities between the biochemical actions of cycasin and dimethylnitrosamine.
1. Rats were given the hepatotoxin and carcinogen cycasin by stomach tube. In one experiment, rats whose RNA had previously been labelled with [(14)C]-formate were given the acetate ester of the aglycone form of cycasin, methylazoxymethanol, by intraperitoneal injection. 2. Incorporation of (14)C from l-[U-(14)C]leucine into the proteins of some organs was measured in cycasin-treated rats. Cyca...
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عنوان ژورنال:
- Food and cosmetics toxicology
دوره 6 5 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 1968