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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #74772
Title: EVALUATION OF FOOD FOR POTENTIAL TOXICANTS

Author
item NIGG, HERBERT - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item Beier, Ross

Submitted to: Plant Physiology
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/25/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: We consume foods which contain toxic plant-produced chemicals, e.g. alkaloids in potatoes and furanocoumarins in celery. After a potato meal, alpha-chaconine and alpha-solanine cross the human gut and appear in the blood at concentrations of 7.66 ng/mL. Both of these compounds inhibit pseudocholinesterase, an important nervous system enzyme. Furanocoumarins in celery and citrus have caused dermatitis in agricultural workers, and in persons making limeade. In some cases, symptoms of the dermatitis included very severe burning. The purpose of this report is to suggest various studies which will help to assure future food safety.