ABSTRACT
A recent article concluded that glutamic acid probably plays a central role in the vomiting and neurological features of ackee poisoning. The present article draws attention to misconceptions in the basis of that hypothesis, and reviews important evidence supporting a different view
Subject(s)
Humans , Plant Poisoning , Acidosis/chemically induced , Vomiting/chemically induced , Aspartic Acid/poisoning , Cyclopropanes/poisoning , Hypoglycins/poisoning , Glutamates/poisoningABSTRACT
The unripe ackee fruit, when eaten, is known to cause serious clincial manifestations, including vomitting, hypoglycaemia and acidosis. The effects, of various extracts from the arilli of the unripe ackee fruit (including hypoglycin-A) on the lungs from rats were examined in an in vitro preparation. All the extracts were found to induce moderately severe broncho-constriction, indicating a possible contribution of these effects to the observed toxicity of ackee
Subject(s)
Rats , Animals , Male , Female , Bronchi/drug effects , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Acetylcholine/pharmacology , Cyclopropanes/pharmacology , Hypoglycins/pharmacology , Rats, Inbred Strains , Constriction, Pathologic , Cyclopropanes/poisoning , Hypoglycins/poisoningABSTRACT
The hypoglycemia seen in ackee poisoning almost certainly results from the presence of hypoglycin A in the aril. However, the mechanisms underlying the vomiting and neurological disrders have not been properly established. We have, in thes review, re-examined the latter and proposed that the vomiting of glutamic and neurological feactures of ackee poisoning probably result from the excitotoxic properties of glutamic and aspartic acids derived directly and indirectly from ackee intake