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nafex - [NAFEX] Choke Cherries, cyanide, etc.

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  • From: Lucky Pittman <lucky.pittman@murraystate.edu>
  • To: longdistshtr <longdistshtr@shtc.net>, North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc:
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Choke Cherries, cyanide, etc.
  • Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2004 08:36:05 -0600

At 10:25 PM 2/25/2004 -0500, Doc L wrote:
They are pest trees here, kinda like Sweet Gums which Lucky Pittman abhors.
Indeed, I do. Would much prefer hawthorns, which I could use as rootstocks for pears & quinces.

I'm neither a chemist nor a toxicologist, but deal with the cyanide issue in livestock on a regular basis. Cherry leaves are most toxic in the wilted state - I've seen cows eat them fresh and green off the tree, and they'll vaccuum up the yellow senescent leaves that drop off from time to time throughout the season - with no ill effects. It may be that the fresh green leaves are toxic as well as the wilted ones, but that the animals aren't usually able to access them in the large amounts that precipitate death like when people inadvisedly pitch big piles of prunings over the fence to them or a storm comes through and blows trees over or splits big limbs off - at which time the cows/goats/sheep mob around 'em and race to see who can eat the most leaves. Japanese yew prunings do a very efficient job of killing cattle, as well, due to their high cyanogenic potential.

Prunus spp. leaves contain cyanogenic glucosides and enzymes which alter those glucosides, but in normal, undamaged leaves, they're contained in separate cells. When the leaves are damaged - freezing, wilting, chewing, etc, this allows the chemical reaction to take place between the enzymes and the cyanogenic glucosides, liberating cyanide, which can then be taken up into the bloodstream, where it binds to hemoglobin in the erythrocytes, interfering with its capability to carry oxygen.

On the subject of cyanide in the seeds or a cherry leaf in my jam or wine, personally, I wouldn't have too much concern about it - wouldn't even be concerned with crushing seeds in the process of making jelly or wine. HCN(hydrogen cyanide) is volatile, and any that might be liberated would probably dissipate harmlessly into the atmosphere during the course of canning, fermentation, or storage, for that matter.
I wouldn't want to sit down and eat a big bowl of cracked chokecherry pits, though.

For more info on prussic acid poisoning, have a look at the following extension bulletin:
http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/range/g775.htm#what



Lucky Pittman
USDA Zone 6
Hopkinsville, KY





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