Cassava (ManihotesculentaCrantz) is an exclusivelycultivated tuber crop and a staple food for billions of people in the tropical regions of Africa, Latin America and Asia. Globally, in terms of the annual production, it is the sixthmost important food crop after maize, rice, wheat and potato .People are quiet ignorant about the impact of cyanide content n tapioca. This paper deals with the various strategies to extract and asses the cyanide content.

1. Cyanide Derived From Tapioca
Plant
BY Dr. SREEREMYA.S
FACULTY OF BIOLOGY

2. • Cassava (ManihotesculentaCrantz) is an
exclusivelycultivated tuber crop and a staple food
for billions of people in the tropical regions of
Africa, Latin America and Asia. Globally, in terms
of the annual production, it is the sixthmost
important food crop after maize, rice, wheat and
potato .People are quiet ignorant about the
impact of cyanide content n tapioca. This paper
deals with the various strategies to extract and
asses the cyanide content.

3. • While the starchy tuberous roots are the main food source, the young
leaves, which are high in protein, are also consumed, specifically in Africa.
Despite all the usefulness of cassava, its use as the food source is limited
by its perishability, its low protein content and its much potential toxicity
.Cassava comprises two cyanogenicglucosides, linamarin and the small
amount of lotaustralin, which are catalytically hydrolyzed to release the
toxic hydrogen cyanide (HCN) when the plant tissue is crushed. Several
varieties of the cassava have been identified and grouped intoquiet bitter
and sweet mainly depending on the quantity of linamarin in the tuber.
Tapioca is having the cellulosic content (Sreeremya, 2018).
• The consumption of cassava and its derived products which mainly contain
large amounts of HCN may be responsible for such visible manifestations
as thegoiter and cretinism, the tropical ataxic neuropathy.

4. • The processing methods availed traditionally are sun
drying, soaking and fermentation followed by cooking
(Dufour, 1983). These processing methods could pave to
reduce the cyanide content in cassava products to mainly
improve its palatability and convert it into a storable form.
It is worth indicating that, in Senegal, the level of the
cassava consumption is verymuch low. In this country, it is
generally consumed asa vegetable in the daily meals of
households(fig: 1). In addition, a virtual lack of the
processing units and the inadequacy of cassava processing
equipment are noted. With its potential for the processing,
cassava could be an alternative to the imported food in
order to diversify food and ensure food safety in Senegal
(De Bruijn et al., 1973).

6. • PROCEDURE
• 1. Hydrogen cyanide is the volatile compound which evaporates rapidly in the air at temperatures over 27-28°C
and dissolves rapidly in water. It may easily be lost during the transport, storage and analysis of samples(Fukuba et
al., 1984).
• 2. Hydrogen cyanide is the chemical compound that can be released from cyanogenic glycosides that are natural
constituents of few plants such as: bitter almonds, sorghum, cassava, lima beans, stone fruits and bamboo shoots.
Therefore the reduction and removal measures of the hydrogen cyanide (HCN) should focus on the precursor i.e.
cyanogenic glycosides and the cyanohydrins.
• 3. Hydrogen cyanide may be toxic tothe humans and animals, and the severity of the toxicity depends on the
quantity consumed.
• 4. Cassava is an important staple crop encompassing thecyanogenic glycosides. The cassava plants encompassing
the roots also contain the enzyme linamarase that breaks down the cyanogenic glycosides to the release
cyanohydrin, whichthe
• disassociate at low levels of acidity to generate hydrogen cyanide. The extent of the breakdown of the cyanogenic
glycosides and the eventual release of the hydrogen cyanide depends on the amount of linamarase present in
cassava tissue; the extent of the specific disruption of the tissue, the acidity of the product, and the heat
treatment are pivotal factors in determining the concentration of residual cyanogens in cassava products. It is
much evident that high concentrations of cyanogenic glycosides may result in the higher concentrations of
hydrogen cyanide(Gómez et al., 1980).

7. • REFERNCE
• Journal of Pharmacology, Toxicology and
Therapeutics, Cyanide derived from Tapioca
palnts, Dr.S.Sreeremya , 2019.Vol 1(2):1-7