Abstract
Hypoglycin A (HGA) originating from soapberry fruits (litchi, and ackee) seeds or seedlings from the sycamore maple (SM) tree (related to Sapindaceae) may cause Jamaican vomiting sickness in humans and atypical myopathy in horses and ruminants. A possible transfer into dairy cow’s milk cannot be ruled out since the literature has revealed HGA in the milk of mares and in the offal of captured deer following HGA intoxication. From a study, carried out for another purpose, bulk raw milk samples from four randomly selected dairy farms were available. The cows were pastured in the daytime. A sycamore maple tree was found on the pasture of farm No. 1 only. Bulk milk from the individual tank or milk filling station was sampled in parallels and analyzed for HGA by LC-ESI-MS/MS. Measurable concentrations of HGA occurred only in milk from farm No. 1 and amounted to 120 and 489 nmol/L. Despite low and very variable HGA concentrations, the results indicate that the ingested toxin, once eaten, is transferred into the milk. However, it is unknown how much HGA the individual cow ingested during grazing and what amount was transferred into the bulk milk samples. As a prerequisite for a possible future safety assessment, carry-over studies are needed. Furthermore, the toxins’ stability during milk processing should also be investigated as well.
Highlights
Hypoglycin A (HGA) concentrations ≥ 9 μg/L were detected in both sub-samples of the milk from farm No 1 only
Different concentrations of HGA (120 and 489 nmol/L). This high variation might in part be both sub-samples of bulk raw milk from the farm in question contained quite explained by an unequal distribution of HGA among individual milk fractions
Preliminary different concentrations of HGA (120 and 489 nmol/L). This high variation might in part results of an ongoing study reveal a clear majority of HGA occurring in whey
Summary
Fatalities in humans have been reported worldwide as a result of HGA ingestion through soapberry fruits during litchiharvesting season with a mortality rate of > 30%; mainly young children are affected [11]. The ingestion of seeds or seedlings from the sycamore maple (SM) tree (Acer pseudoplatanus), which is related to the same plant family (Sapindaceae) as soapberry fruits, led to AM in horses with an average fatality rate of 74 % [12]. AM cases were reported for captured David’s deer (Elaphurus davidianus) after ingestion of huge quantities of seeds and seedlings [15] as well as leaves and branches [16], respectively, from pruned maple trees. The presence of MCPrG and metabolites of HGA and MCPrG in the kidney and liver of dead David’s deer [16]
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