Abstract
Both improved and local cassava varieties are widely grown and also, consumed in Zombo district as well as West Nile Sub region and Uganda as a whole. However, all cassava varieties contain cyanogenic glycosides which are toxic, although the amounts in each cultivar may vary considerably. Consumption of such toxins in sufficient quantities poses a health risk since they can cause acute cyanide poisoning and death in humans and animals. As such, information concerning the cyanogenic glycosides content in cassava cultivars is indispensable in averting health risks linked with cassava consumption. In this study, the cyanogenic content of the most common local cassava varieties (Bisimwenge, Nyar-anderiano, Nya-matia, Nya-pamitu, Nya-papoga and Nyar-udota) grown in Zombo district and six improved cassava varieties (NASE 3, NASE 9, NASE 14, NASE 19, TME 14 and TME 204) were investigated. Generally, the improved cassava varieties revealed lower levels (mean value was 108.75 mg/kg) of cyanogens than the local varieties (mean value was 201.65 mg/kg). The concentrations of the cyanogen in all the cultivars investigated were far above the FAO/WHO recommended value (<10 mg/kg). Hence, adequate detoxification and reduced frequency of consumption of these cassava cultivars are necessary in order to limit the ingestion of toxic levels of cyanide.
Highlights
Cassava is the second most important staple food in Uganda with per capita consumption of 132 kg, accounting for about 13% of the caloric intake [1]
Cassava has served as a food security crop, grown as a form of insurance against drought and the failure of other staple crops
Benson Oloya et al.: Cyanogenic Potential of Selected Cassava Varieties in Zombo District, Uganda cyanide ingestion from cassava exacerbates goiter and cretinism in iodine deficient areas and is almost undoubtedly the cause of Konzo in eastern, central and southern Africa [9,10]. It is associated with Tropical ataxic neuropathy (TAN), a long-lasting condition of gradual onset that occurs in older people and causes loss of vision, ataxia of gait, deafness and weakness [11,12,13]
Summary
Cassava is the second most important staple food in Uganda with per capita consumption of 132 kg, accounting for about 13% of the caloric intake [1]. Benson Oloya et al.: Cyanogenic Potential of Selected Cassava Varieties in Zombo District, Uganda cyanide ingestion from cassava exacerbates goiter and cretinism in iodine deficient areas and is almost undoubtedly the cause of Konzo in eastern, central and southern Africa [9,10]. It is associated with Tropical ataxic neuropathy (TAN), a long-lasting condition of gradual onset that occurs in older people and causes loss of vision, ataxia of gait, deafness and weakness [11,12,13]. It is necessary to know the cyanogenic profile of cassava cultivars in a given area so as to optimize the postharvest processing of cassava and regulate the ingestion of cyanogenic toxins
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