Bitter almonds along with Introduction, chemistry, structure, pharmacognostic features, pharmacology, contraindications, side effects, toxicity, cyanide poisoning, symptoms, treatment, complications and case study...

1. PHARMACOGNOSY PRESENTATION 🥀
TOPIC :
BITTER ALMONDS
PREPARED BY :
Dr DURYAB JAMIL

2. INTRODUCTION 💕
PHARMACOGNOSTIC FEATURES
Scientific name :
Prunus amygdalus var.amara
Family:
Rosaceae

3. Chemical constituents:
● Fats; oleic acid , palmitic acid, linolic fatty acid
● Glycoside; Cyanogenic glycoside 2.5-4% (Amygdalin)
● Vitamins: vit E, vitB complex (riboflavin etc),
● minerals, flavanols, etc.
Uses:
cough, spasms, pain,itching,constipation,demulcent in skin lotin
,sedative due to HCN.

4. ● The main chemical
components of bitter almond
oil are benzaldehyde and
hydrocyanic (prussic acid).
● Benzaldehyde does not occur
as such in the plant, but is
formed, together with
hydrogen cyanide, by the
hydrolytic cleavage of the
glycoside amygdalin.
CHEMISTRY 💚💚

5. STRUCTURE

6. ● Anticancer properties :
Amygdalin, one of the most important compounds of bitter
almond, has been known to be a unique substance to treat
cancer for over 100 years. It is thought to be the cause of
anticancer properties that can contribute to treating different
cancers.
● Antimicrobial properties:
Different extracts of bitter almond can exert different
antimicrobial effects. Of these extracts, methanolic extract was
found to exert more optimal effects on Bacillus subtilis and
Staphylococcus aureus.
PHARMACOLOGICAL EFFECTS

7. ● Traditional uses of bitter
almond:
Bitter almond is highly valuable in
traditional and modern medicine .
In Iranian traditional medicine,bitter
almond essential oil is used to treat
burns and wounds and to protect
stomach, bitter almond ointment or
essential oil is used to treat acne,
joint pain, hair loss.

8. ● Allergy to almonds or its
products.
● Pregnancy/Lactation:Con
sumption of bitter
almond or laetrile is not
recommended in
pregnant or
breast-feeding women.
● Surgery: Bitter almond
can slow down the
nervous system.
Contraindications
● It contains a poisonous
chemical called hydrocyanic
acid (HCN). Serious side
effects can occur such as
slowing of the nervous
system, breathing problems,
and death.
● headache, dizziness, vomiting,
bradycardia, severe lactic
acidosis, acidosis,
hypotension, liver damage,
walking, fever, seizure, and
coma
SIDE EFFECTS

9. Toxicity
● Interactions
● Cyanide Poisoning
● Symptoms
● Treatment
● Complications
Case study…

10. Toxicity of Bitter Almonds :
Do not use bitter almond. Bitter almond
is considered LIKELY UNSAFE when
taken by mouth. It contains a poisonous
chemical called hydrocyanic acid (HCN).
Serious side effects can occur such as
slowing of the nervous system, breathing
problems, and death.

11. ● Bitter almond can be toxic and
might cause sleepiness and
drowsiness.
● Medications that cause
sleepiness are called sedatives.
● Taking bitter almond along with
sedative medications might
cause too much sleepiness.
Interactions :

12. What is cyanide?
● Cyanide is one of the most famous poisons. it’s developed a reputation for causing
an almost immediate death.
● Cyanide can refer to any chemical that contains a carbon-nitrogen (CN) bond.
● Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is a Deadly forms of cyanide found in bitter-almonds
Symptoms of cyanide poisoning?
● overall weakness
● nausea
● confusion
● headache
● difficulty breathing
● seizure
● loss of consciousness
● cardiac arrest

13. TREAMENT for Cyanide Poisoning
The first step to treating a suspected case of cyanide poisoning is to identify
the source of exposure. This will help your doctor or other healthcare provider
determine the appropriate decontamination method.
If you have ingested cyanide, you may be given activated charcoal to help
absorb the toxin and safely clear it from your body.
Cyanide exposure can affect oxygen intake, so your doctor may administer 100
percent oxygen via a mask or endotracheal tube.
In severe cases, your doctor may administer one of two antidotes:
● cyanide antidote kit
● hydroxocobalamin (Cyanokit)

14. ● The cyanide antidote kit consists of three medications given together: amyl nitrite,
sodium nitrite, and sodium thiosulfate. The amyl nitrite is given by inhalation for 15 to
30 seconds, while sodium nitrite is administered intravenously over three to five
minutes. Intravenous sodium thiosulfate is administered for about 30 minutes.
●
● Hydroxocobalamin will detoxify cyanide by binding with it to produce nontoxic vitamin
B-12. This medication neutralizes cyanide at a slow enough rate to allow an enzyme
called rhodanese to further detoxify cyanide in the liver.
Complications
If left untreated, acute or chronic cyanide poisoning may cause:
● seizure
● cardiac arrest
● coma
● In some cases, cyanide poisoning may result in death.

15. CASE STUDY ❤📃📜📜📜🏷
INTRODUCTION 💚💚💚💚💚
There is a report of pediatric case of cyanide
intoxication after bitter almond ingestion, and
discussion of pathophysiological elements and
clinical management of this poisoning.

16. OBSERVATION 🍁🍁🍂
A 5-year-old boy, with no significant
medical history, has been brought
by his mother at the pediatric
emergency department because
developing since 2 h dizziness,
confusion, somnolence, and
vomiting. Thereafter, he had
generalized tonic-clonic seizures
and became comatose. Five hours
earlier, the child had deliberately
ingested about 10 bitter almonds

17. On arrival in the emergency room,
the patient was unconscious,
spontaneously mobilizing its
members. He has a Glas gow
coma and miosisof the
pupilsintight. He was tachypneic,
with peripheral oxygen saturation
at 98%. He has normal pulse and
blood pressure.

18. The child has been
transferred to the intensive
care unit. He was monitored
and supported on oxygen.
Three hours later, he
recovered with normal
breathing and neurological
status.

19. DISCUSSION 💚💚💚💚
Bitter almonds contain up to 5.3% amygdalin. The toxicity of amygdalin is directly
attributable to the release of hydrogen cyanide. This release occurs through the action of
enzymes (hydrolase). Chewing the amends increases production of cyanide.
Hydrolysis is slow in acidic conditions but fast and complete in alkaline ones. This
chemical feature probably explains the delay of onset of symptoms in cyanide poisoning.
It is the time necessary of passage of the bolus from the stomach to the duodenum,
which means from the acid to the alkaline medium.
Toxic action is an on specific inhibition of many enzyme (mitochondrial cytochrome
oxidase), anearly impairmentof calcium homeostasis and intra cellular peroxidation of
nerve membranes. Accordingly, clinical manifestations of acute cyanide poisoning are
often nonspecific and mainly reflect oxygen deprivation of heart and brain such as
confusion, dizziness, and the cardio-respiratory collapse in severe poisoning case.

20. In patient, neurological
manifestations were the
main symptoms of the
clinical picture. Dizziness
and confusion at first and
complicated later by
seizures and coma.

21. The administration of hydroxocobalamin is recommended in severe cyanide
poisoning. It constitutes the antidote of choice, which detoxifies cyanide
by binding it to form cyanocobalamin, a nontoxic compound excreted in the
urine.
Our patient was hospitalized in pediatric intensive care unit and his vital
signs were strictly monitored. He rapidly responded to a treatment with
oxygen and correction of his metabolic acidosis. The neurologic recovery
was obtained in 3 h.

22. Conclusion 💕💕💕💕
Manifestations of cyanide poisoning by ingestion of
cyanogenic foods are not specific. Its severity
depends on both quantity of cyanogenic food ingested
and the delay of management. Medical professional
should be able to recognize cyanide poisoning despite
its rare occurrence because early diagnosis and
treatment are the successful way to reduce
morbimortality. Oxygen administration should be
rapid as well as specific antidotes in severe poisoning.

23. SlidesShare.net
http://www.atmph.org/article.asp?issn=1755-6783;year=2013;volu
me=6;issue=6;spage=679;epage=680;aulast=Mouaffak#cadd
https://www.healthline.com/health/cyanide-poisoning
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-314/bitter-al
mond
References :