North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Bill Russell" <shaman@pennswoods.net>]

Right. Cyanide is not a cumulative toxin.

Bill

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lucky Pittman" <lucky.pittman@murraystate.edu>
To: "longdistshtr" <longdistshtr@shtc.net>; "North American Fruit Explorers"
<nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2004 6:36 AM
Subject: [NAFEX] Choke Cherries, cyanide, etc.


> 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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