BACKGROUND Cyanide is a toxic agent, and its detoxification product, thiocyanate, may be a major pathogenetic substance in uraemia. Recent studies examining the myeloperoxidase(MPO)/thiocyanate system have suggested a link between thiocyanate and atherosclerosis. However, inaccuracies in conventional assays for cyanide and thiocyanate have limited the understanding of their metabolism in haemod...

With increasing industrialisation man is continuously disturbing the delicate ecological balance. Among the different sources which cause environmental deterioration, hydrogen cyanide is the most important one. Acute cyanide poisoning in man and animals results in incoordination of movements, convulsions, coma and respiratory arrest. At the molecular level it is well known that cyanide inhibits...

Stemphylium loti, a pathogen of a cyanogenic plant, possesses a cyanide-insensitive alternate respiratory pathway. In the absence of cytochrome inhibitors, the alternate system had only a minor role in respiration. When S. loti was grown in medium amended with antimycin to block the cytochrome chain, the alternate system accounted for the total oxygen consumption associated with respiration.The...

Metabolic and toxicological data were obtained during the first 24 hours following severe and eventually fatal cyanide poisoning. Initial blood cyanide concentrations were 804 mumol/l but fell rapidly over 24 hours following cobalt edetate therapy to 15 mumol/l. However, plasma thiocyanate concentrations rose over 24 hours (147-267 mumol/l) suggesting continued tissue detoxification. The major ...

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), a staple crop for millions of sub-Saharan Africans, contains high levels of cyanogenic glycosides which protect it against herbivory. However, cyanogens have also been proposed to play a role in nitrogen transport from leaves to roots. Consistent with this hypothesis, analyses of the distribution and activities of enzymes involved in cyanide metabolism provid...

The presence of cyanide compounds restricts the utilization wild yam (Dioscorea hispida) tubers for food or ingredients. Traditional detoxification, usually used in chips processing, has not been evaluated its effectiveness reducing cyanogenic compounds. Processing into flour will increase and pregelatinization improve functional properties. This study aimed to evaluate effect 4 traditional det...

The effects of Cymbopogon citratus (lemon grass) on the detoxification of cassava tubers and the sensory evaluation of their cassava fufu products were investigated. One kilogram of freshly harvested cassava tuber was fermented with varying amounts (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 g) of lemon grass for one to five days. Fermentation resulted in a decrease in the cyanide content and this was signific...