Cyanide Toxicity of Freshly Prepared Smoothies and Juices Frequently Consumed

Aims: This study was conducted to detect the presence of cyanide in popular fruit and vegetable smoothies and juices marketed as raw and natural. Study Design: Eleven (11) popular varieties of drinks were analyzed for total cyanide (TCN). Drinks contained raw vegetables and fruits, flax seeds, whole apples with seeds, raw almond milk, and pasteurized almond milk as ingredients. Place and Study Duration: Samples were collected from health food eateries located within Las Vegas, Nevada (USA) during the summer of 2017. Methodology: Fifty milliliters (mL) of a homogenized smoothie and juice drink and 1 gram of flax seeds were subjected to the above-referenced methods for sample preparation per USEPA Methods 9012B (digestion) followed by USEPA method 9014 (colorimetry). Results: The highest TCN was detected in drinks containing raw flax seed followed by unpasteurized raw almond milk, then fresh whole apple juice. No TCN was observed in drinks that contained none of the above mentioned items (e.g. flax seed, raw almond milk) or those utilizing pasteurized ingredients. Conclusion: This study observed that TCN is present in smoothies and juices containing raw flax seeds, fresh whole apples, and/or unpasteurized almond milk. Concentrations were detected as high as 341 μg L-1 in commercially available smoothies containing vegetables, raw flax seeds, almond milk and fruits. Smoothies with vegetables, fruits, unpasteurized almond milk, and no flax seeds contained 41 ug L-1TCN, while similar smoothies with pasteurized almond milk contained negligible to 9.6 ug L-1 CN-. Unpasteurized almond milk and raw flax seeds were the major sources of TCN in drinks. With the increased demand for raw and natural foods, there is a potential sublethal exposure of TCN by consumers.

Quantificação de cianeto total nas etapas de processamento das farinhas de mandioca dos grupos seca e d'água / Total cyanide quantification in processing stages of cassava flour from dry and water groups

O objetivo deste trabalho foi quantificar a concentração de cianeto total durante as etapas de produção da farinha de mandioca dos grupos seca e d'água. Em relação à farinha seca, a concentração de cianeto total na raiz de mandioca diminuiu de 160±11,8 mg HCN/kg para 149±12,3 mg HCN/kg após a trituração, 68±2,5 mg HCN/kg após a prensagem e chegando a 5±0,2 mg HCN/kg no produto final, após o processo de torração. Na produção da farinha d'água, a raiz de mandioca apresentava teor de cianeto total de 321±21,6 mg HCN/kg e durante o processo de fermentação da raiz, o teor de cianeto total nas primeiras 24 horas de fermentação era de 297±2,7 mg HCN/kg chegando a 64±2,3 mg HCN/kg após 96 horas em repouso no tanque. Após trituração e prensagem da massa fermentada, os valores diminuíram para 50±0,6 e 36±0,4 mg HCN/kg, respectivamente, obtendo-se no produto final a concentração de 9±0,1 mg HCN/kg, sendo evidenciado a eficiência do processo de destoxificação em ambos os processamentos.

The aim of this work was to quantify the total cyanide concentration during the production stages of cassava flour from dry and water groups. In relation to dry flour, the total cyanide concentration in the cassava root reduced from 160±11.8 mg HCN/kg to 149±12.3 mg HCN/kg after grinding, 68±2.5mg HCN/kg after pressing and 5±0.2 mg HCN/kg was obtained in the final product after the roasting process. For the water flour production, the cassava root showed 321±21.6 mg HCN/kg total cyanide content, and during the fermentation process, the total cyanide content for the first 24-hour fermentation was from 297±2.7 mg HCN/kg reaching 64±2.3 mg HCN/kg after resting in a pool for 96 hours. After grinding and pressing the fermented roots, the values lowered to 50±0.6 and 36±0.4 mg HCN/kg, respectively. A concentration of 9±0.1 mg HCN/kg was obtained in the final product, evidencing the detoxification process efficiency in both processings.

Nitroloside-containing foods and their possible effects on health and nutrition

Litrature survey appears to show that a diet rich in nitriloside may ba an answer to preventive medicineA survey of Philippine plant and other plant products for nitrilosides content was carried out using qualitative and quantitative tests. Results show that among the plants used in the Filipino diet, cassava, patani, chesa , ginger and singkamas were particularly rich in nitrilosides. Fresh sorghum grains were also found to be an excellent source of nitrilosideExperimental study of the effect of nitriloside on health and nutrition was made on rabbits and the results showed that the experimental animals fed raw cassava bark and leaves gained weight and improved their blood picture as compared with the control animals. The preliminary study on culture of cancer cells showed significant inhibition by nitriloside on the dehydrogenase using methylene blue as the inidicatorStudies are now undergoing to extract the nitriloside, known as linamarin from cassava. Can linamarin show a more significant improvement in the blood picture of experimental animals?. Will linamarin show any inhibition on the culture of P-388 leukemic cells? This we hope to find out. (Summary)