The document discusses cancer, amygdalin, and laetrile. It describes how cancer forms due to DNA damage and mutations that lead to uncontrolled cell division. It spreads through the body via blood vessels and lymphatic nodes. Amygdalin is a naturally occurring compound found in seeds of plants like apricots and apples that can release cyanide in the body and potentially cause poisoning. Laetrile is a synthesized form of amygdalin used in alternative cancer treatments. However, studies found both cancerous and normal cells contain similar amounts of enzymes involved in cyanide release, calling the mechanisms of the treatment into question.

1. CANCER

2. Carcinogenesis
• Cancer cell is formed as a result of unsolved
damage with in the DNA of the normal cell
• This damage result in a mutation which
leads to uncontrolled cell division
• Cancer cells can make branches with the
blood vessels and lymphatic nodes
(Angiogenesis)
• Cancer cells can transfer to different body
organs through blood vessels to form
secondary cancer (Metastasis)

3. Amygdalin
• naturally occurring chemical compound, famous
for cancer cure. It is found in many plants, but
most notably in the seeds
• (kernels) of apricot, bitter almonds, apple, peach,
and plum.
• Amygdalin is classified as a cyanogenic glycoside
because each molecule includes a nitrile group,
which can be released as the toxic cyanide anion
by the action of a beta-glucosidase
• Eating amygdalin will cause it to release cyanide
in the human body, and may lead to cyanide
poisoning

4. Amygdalin Structure
• [(6-O-β-D-Glucopyranosyl-β-Dglucopyranosyl) oxy]
(phenyl)acetonitrile
• Amygdalin is a cyanogenic glycoside derived from the aromatic
amino acid phenylalanine
• Amygdalin is hydrolyzed by intestinal β-glucosidase and
amygdalase to give gentiobiose and L-mandelonitrile. Gentiobiose
is further hydrolyzed to give glucose, whereas mandelonitrile gives
(thecyanohydrin of benzaldehyde) decomposes to give
benzaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide. Hydrogen cyanide in
sufficient quantities (allowabledaily intake: ~0.6 mg) causes
cyanide poisoning (fatal oral dose: 0.6)

5. Laetrile
• Laetrile is synthesized from amygdalin by hydrolysis.
• The usual preferredcommercial source is from
apricot kernels. The nameis derived from the
separate words "laevarotatory" and
"mandelonitrile".
• Laevarotatory describes the stereochemistry of the
molecule, while
• mandelonitrile refers to its chemical identity
• A 500 mg laetrile tablet may contain between 5–51
mg of hydrogen cyanide per gram.

6. Laetrile role in killing cancer cells
• The first hypothesis proposed that cancerous cells
contained copious betaglucosidases, which release HCN
from laetrile via hydrolysis.
• Normal cells were reportedly unaffected, because they
contained low concentrations of beta-glucosidases and
high concentrations of rhodanese, which converts HCN to
the less toxic thiocyanate.
• Later, however, it was shown that bothcancerous and
normal cells contain only trace amounts of
betaglucosidases and similar amounts of rhodanese.

7. The second and third hypothesis
• The second proposed that, after ingestion, amygdalin was
hydrolyzed to mandelonitrile, transported intact to the liver and
converted to a betaglucuronide complex, which was then
carried to the cancerous cells hydrolyzed by beta-glucuronidases
to release mandelonitrile and then HCN .
• Finally, the third asserted that laetrile is the discovered vitamin
B-17, and further suggests that cancer is a result of "B-17
deficiency".
• It postulated that regular dietary administration of this form of
laetrile would, therefore, actually prevent all incidence of
cancer. The term "vitamin B-17" is not recognized by Committee
on Nomenclature of the American Institute of Nutrition
Vitamins