ABSTRACT
The importance of plants in the human diet has been recognized since ancient times. Everything we eat comes directly or indirectly from plants or organisms that eat plants. Plants are the only organisms that can transform light energy from the sun into excellent macro-and micronutrients that provide energy and sustenance for animals and humans. However, not all plants or their components can be incorporated into foods or feeds. Many naturally occurring compounds in edible plants may even have adverse effects on human health. Incidents of foodborne illness associated with plant-originated toxins have emerged as a food safety issue of global concern that encompasses developed and developing countries, such as Australia, Canada, China, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom. For example, lectins, a group of toxic plant proteins found in a variety of fruits and vegetables such as apple, banana, and cucumber, as well as in many types of legumes including soybeans, lentils, and kidney beans, are harmful to human health. Lectins, if consumed in large amounts, can cause digestion and immune distress attributing to the ability to interfere with the repair of damaged epithelial cells, as well as the hemagglutinating activity (Wu and Sun, 2012). Many other proteins found in plants including ricin, abrin, viscumin, volkensin, modeccin, soyatoxin, and canatoxin have also been reported to be toxic to humans (Audi et al., 2005). Allergies triggered by consuming certain foods derived from plant materials are also prevalent foodborne health
15.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................305 15.2 Glucosinolates ...............................................................................................306 15.3 Cyanogenic Glycosides .................................................................................308 15.4 Alkaloids ....................................................................................................... 310 15.5 Coumarins and Furocoumarins .................................................................... 311 15.6 Juglone .......................................................................................................... 313 15.7 Plant Endocrine Disruptors .......................................................................... 314 15.8 Other Toxins in Food Plants ......................................................................... 315 15.9 Summary ...................................................................................................... 316 References .............................................................................................................. 317
complications, and results of inammatory responses to such food can often lead to uncomfortable and dangerous situations. Many studies have indicated that the majority of those allergens are related to the proteins in food that is mediated usually by immunoglobulin E (IgE) or by non-IgE (cellular) mechanisms (Radauer et al., 2008). Apart from the above-mentioned macromolecular nutrients, some plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) can also result in potentially adverse effect in humans, causing food poisoning when ingested in large amounts or if processed inappropriately. As such, a comprehensive review on natural toxins in plant foods becomes highly important, but is beyond the scope of this chapter. Instead, the present chapter focuses on the PSMs in food that are toxic to humans.
