Spotters in "Nutrition and Health: Food Toxicants" for CFM & MPH students

 

1. Argemone mexicana (Prickly poppy):

Important points:

• Argemone mexicana closely resemble mustard seeds
• It grows wild in india & has prickly leaves and bright yellow flowers
• Contamination of mustard or other oils with argemone oil may be accidental or deliberate
• Argemone oil contains one toxic alkaloid sanguinarine which interferes with the oxidation of pyruvic acid which further accumulates in the blood leading to 'Epidemic dropsy'
• Symptoms of epidemic dropsy are sudden non-inflammatory bilateral swelling of legs often associated with diarrhoea. Dyspnea, cardiac failure and death may follow. Some patients may develop glaucoma.
• The disease may affect all age groups except breast-fed infants
• Mortality varies from 5-50%
• Argemone oil is orange in colour with acrid odour
• Tests for detection are Nitric acid test & Paper chromatography test

2. Lathyrus sativus (Khesari dhal):

Important points:

• Khesari dhal looks similar to red gram dhal or bengal gram dhal
• The seeds of lathyrus have a characteristic triangular shape & gray colour
• Seeds contain a toxin called BOAA (Beta oxalyl amino alanine) which causes neurolathyrism if taken for 2-6 months with diets containing 30% of this dhal
• Mainly affects persons of age group 15-45 years of age group from poor agricultural labourer families
• Manifests in five stages latent stage, no-stick stage, one-stick stage, two-stick stage & crawler stage
• Preventive interventions are vitamin C prophylaxis, banning the crop, removal of toxin, parboiling, education, genetic approach & socio-economic development

3. Aspergillus flavus/ parasiticus (Aflatoxins):

Important points:

• Aflatoxins are a group of mycotoxins produced by fungi Aspergillus flavus & Aspergillus parasiticus
• These fungi infests food grains such as groundnut, maize, parboiled rice, sorghum, wheat, rice, cotton seeds & tapioca under improper storage conditions
• Aflatoxins (B1, G1) are most potent hepatotoxins (may cause liver cirrhosis) & carcinogenic in addition
• Control & preventive measures are proper storage after drying, keeping moisture content of grains below 10% & health education for not to consume contaminated food grains

4. Claviceps purpurea (Ergot):

Important points:

• Ergot is a field fungus
• Food grains such as bajra, rye, sorghum & wheat have tendency to get infested during the flowering stages by the ergot fungus
• Fungus grows as blakish mass & the seeds become black, irregular and harvested along with grains
• Ergot infested grain leads to ergotism
• Symptoms are acute but rarely fatal and include nausea, repeated vomiting, giddiness & drowsiness extending upto 24 to 48 hours after ingestion
• In chronic case painful cramps in limbs & peripheral gangrene due to vasoconstriction of capillaries have been reported
• Preventive measures are removal by hand picking, air-floatation & salt-water floatation
• Safe limit is below 0.05 mg per 100 gm of the food material 

5. Crotalaria (Jhunjhunia):

Important points:

• Panicum miliare (Gondhli) gets contaminated with seeds of weed crotolaria (jhunjhunia)
• Seeds of jhunjhunia contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids which are hepatotoxins cause ascites and jaundice
• Affects both sexes of all age groups except breast fed infants
• Overall mortality 40%
• Preventive measures are deweeding of jhunjhunia plants, sieving & health education

6. Fusarium incamatum:

Important points:

• It is a field fungi & known to contaminate food crops and pose health hazards to livestock and humans
• Fusarium produces deoxynivalenol & fumonisin toxins which causes vomiting and diarrhoea (Moldy ragi poisoning)

References:

1. Park, K. (2019). Park's textbook of preventive and social medicine. 25th. Jabalpur, India: M/S Banarsidas Bhanot.
2. Kadri AM. (2019). IAPSM's Textbook of Community Medicine. 1st. New Delhi, India: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd.
3. https://www.amazon.com/wildflower-Attracts-Butterflies-Tropical-Container-Standard/dp/B01N59CCJD Photo credit
4. https://www.amazon.in/NT-Satyanashi-Seed-Planting-100/dp/B07PR7QXYD photo credit
5. http://dhcrop.bsmrau.net/bari-khesari-1/ photo credit
6. https://www.sawda.com.bd/product/kheshari-dal-500-gm/ photo credit
7. https://www.aspergillus.org.uk/content/aspergillus-flavus-23 photo credit
8. https://www.wur.nl/en/project/Genetics-and-evolution-of-toxin-production-by-Aspergillus-flavus.htm photo credit
9. https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/128799/view/ergot-claviceps-purpurea-on-wheat photo credit
10. https://cropwatch.unl.edu/ergot-wheat-unl-cropwatch-july-8-2011 photo credit
11. https://www.sciencesource.com/archive/Showy-Crotalaria-SS2271671.html photo credit
12. https://www.123rf.com/photo_101583552_crotalaria-juncea-seed-isolated-on-white-background.html photo credit
13. http://www.ls9.it/2013/09/fumosinins-from-fusarium-verticillioides-and-f-proliferatum/ photo credit
14. https://www.seminis-us.com/resources/agronomic-spotlights/fusarium-wilt-in-processing-tomatoes/ photo credit