Article
from the Tropical Fruit News, Rare Fruit Council International Miami RFCI
by Dr. Yasseen Mohamed-Yassseen, University of Florida TREC
Avocado Toxicity
Natural
incidents of poisoning by avocado plants have been reported in horses,
cattle, goats, rabbits, canaries, cockatiels, and fish. (Craigmill et
al., 1984; McKenzie and Brown, 1991). Craigmill et aI., (1984) reported
that leaves of "Anaheim" have deleterious effects on goats. Preliminary
experimental toxicity in laboratory animals suggested that the plant
contains a cardiotoxin (McKenzie and Brown, 1991); however, rigorous
research is needed to confirm such claims. The anise scent of avocado
leaves is shown to be due to estragole and was identified in the leaves
of the Mexican horticultural race but not in the Guatemalan or West
Indian cultivars (King and Knight, 1987). This estragole was found to
have insecticidal properties, but its effect was moderate. (Benschoter
et aI., 1986).
Avocados are the richest known natural source of the seven-carbon sugar
D- manno-heptulose (Simon and Kracier, 1966; Ogataet al., 1972). This
sugar possesses the physiological ability to cause inhibition of
insulin secretion in humans, thereby producing "instant diabetes"
(Simon and Kracier, 1966). It is improbable that blood sugar levers in
a normal person would be affected by average consumption; however,
diabetics should consume avocado cautiously (Bergh, 1992). Shawet aI.,
(1980) found that there is a correlation of manno-heptulose content
with the race of avocado cultivar, and suggested that it may be
possible to breed new culitvars with a lower content of this sugar.
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