Weight loss supplement causing acute heart block in a child.

A 16-year-old male was admitted to the paediatric ICU with acute onset of vomiting, somnolence, and chest pain, and electrocardiogram showing 2nd degree heart block after ingesting an Aleurites moluccana (Candlenut) seed as a herbal weight loss supplement. Electrocardiogram showed progressively worsening heart block with down-sloping of the ST segments, resembling digoxin toxicity. After 2 days of ICU observation, his symptoms began to improve and eventually resolved. The side effects of herbal supplements are often unknown but by analysing cases such as these, physicians can develop a better understanding of these substances to help guide management.

Fatal Yellow Oleander Poisoning Masquerading as Benign Candlenut Ingestion Taken for Weight Loss.

BACKGROUND: Candlenuts (Aleurites moluccana) and yellow oleander seeds (Thevetia peruviana) bear a physical resemblance to one another. Candlenuts are benign and marketed as weight loss supplements. Yellow oleander seeds, however, contain toxic cardioactive steroids; as few as 2 seeds may cause fatal poisoning. Because of their physical similarities, the potential for a lethal substitution exists. CASE REPORT: A 63-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with vomiting after ingesting 5 of what she believed to be candlenuts that were ordered online under the colloquial name "Nuez de la India" for the purpose of weight loss. She was bradycardic (nadir pulse of 30 beats/min) and hyperkalemic (serum potassium 7.3 mEq/L). Within hours of presentation she suffered a ventricular fibrillation arrest, followed by a terminal asystolic arrest. Postmortem analyses of liver tissue and the seeds were consistent with fatal T. peruviana poisoning. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: T. peruviana seeds contain toxic cardioactive steroids; their physical resemblance to candlenuts poses a risk of potentially fatal substitution. Therapy with high-dose digoxin specific immune fragments (20-30 vials) may be helpful.

Supercritical CO2 extraction of candlenut oil: process optimization using Taguchi orthogonal array and physicochemical properties of the oil.

A series of experiments was conducted to determine optimum conditions for supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of candlenut oil. A Taguchi experimental design with L9 orthogonal array (four factors in three levels) was employed to evaluate the effects of pressure of 25-35 MPa, temperature of 40-60 °C, CO2 flow rate of 10-20 g/min and particle size of 0.3-0.8 mm on oil solubility. The obtained results showed that increase in particle size, pressure and temperature improved the oil solubility. The supercritical carbon dioxide extraction at optimized parameters resulted in oil yield extraction of 61.4% at solubility of 9.6 g oil/kg CO2. The obtained candlenut oil from supercritical carbon dioxide extraction has better oil quality than oil which was extracted by Soxhlet extraction using n-hexane. The oil contains high unsaturated oil (linoleic acid and linolenic acid), which have many beneficial effects on human health.

The activity of candlenut oil in the nanostructured lipid carrier system on hair growth in rats.

Background: Candlenut oil (Aleurites moluccana L. Willd), which is also called Aleurites moluccana Seed (AMS) oil, is empirically effective as a hair growth agent, it is an unstable substance. Nanostructured Lipid Carrier (NLC) is a delivery system that is proven to increase the effectiveness and stability of the material, and the usage of solid lipid combination: beeswax-oleum cacao can produce good NLC characteristics. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of NLC_AMS oil with different combination of beeswax-oleum cacao (100:0; 50:50; 25:75; and 0:100) as a hair growth agent, using rats as subjects. Methods: NLC-AMS oil was made using 20% of total lipid with 5% AMS oil as liquid lipid and 15% solid lipid; combinations of beeswax-oleum cacao were of different ratios (100:0; 50:50; 25:75; and 0:100). NLC was made by High Shear Homogenization (HPH) method. Hair growth activity test carried out on male white rats using the research methods of Yoon (2010). Results: The addition of oleum cacao as a solid lipid did not affect the pH, but increased the consistency and decreased the particle size of NLC- AMS oil. There was a relationship between the characteristic of NLC and the hair growth activity test: the small particle size and low viscosity had greater hair growth activity. Conclusion: The usage of solid lipid combination: beeswaxoleum cacao can produce better NLC characteristics and had higher hair growth activity than the formulas that used single lipid.

Fatty acids composition and in vivo biochemical effects of Aleurites moluccana seed (Candlenut) in obese wistar rats.

BACKGROUND: Candlenut (CN) has been used indiscriminately for weight loss. In vivo effects of CN in different doses are scarce. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of CN ingestion in obese rats. DESIGN: Thirty animals (obese and non-obese) received one of three different types of treatments: placebo, CN ingestion in a popular therapeutic regimen (8 days with oral administration of 0.2 mg/kg followed by 20 days with doses of 0.4 mg/kg), and ingestion of a doubled popular dose-called 2CN. Treatment was maintained for 28 days. RESULTS: The fatty acid profile of CN indicated mainly linolelaidic and palmitoleic acids. Rats receiving CN and 2CN showed reduced plasmatic levels of glucose and lipoproteins (p < 0.05). A dose-dependent carcass fat reduction was observed (p < 0.05). Blood levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) reduced with CN and increased with 2CN doses (p < 0.05). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and the atherogenic index remained similar among all treatments (p > 0.05). Hepatic vacuolation decreased with CN, but the 2CN dose produced mononuclear leucocyte infiltrate. CONCLUSIONS: Although CN presented beneficial effects on the metabolism of rats, it also caused increased risk of liver damage.

Physicochemical Characterization of Candlenut (Aleurites moluccana)-derived Biodiesel Purified with Deed Eutectic Solvents.

A high-oil candlenut (Aleurites moluccana)-derived biodiesel was purified using new generation solvents called Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) and physicochemical properties of the purified biodiesel were assessed according to the accepted international standards for biodiesel (ASTM D6751; EN 14214). Binary and ternary choline chloride-based DESs containing glycerol and ethylene glycol as hydrogen bond donors were synthesized. The results of the investigation showed that the quality of DESs-purified biodiesel generally improved compared with the unpurified biodiesel and fulfilled the accepted standard limits for biodiesel except carbon residue and oxidation stability properties. Choline chloride/ethylene glycol (ChCl/Eg, 1:2 molar ratio) having a DES/biodiesel ratio of 1:1 (DES2-11) has enhanced the Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) content of unpurified biodiesel from 81.89% to 98.13%, and the oxidation stability from 2.36 h to 3.06 h. 1H NMR examination showed the successful synthesis of DESs; GC-MS analysis of candlenut oil and its biodiesel revealed oil and fatty acid methyl ester compositions, respectively. The similarity in FAME compositions between DESs-purified and unpurified biodiesel as revealed through GC-MS examination suggests the selective removal of impurities and the efficiency of DESs in improving the quality of candlenut-derived biodiesel.

Aleurites moluccanus and its main active constituent, the flavonoid 2″-O-rhamnosylswertisin, in experimental model of rheumatoid arthritis.

ETHNOPHARMMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Aleurites moluccana is used in folk medicine to treat pain, fever, asthma, hepatitis, gastric ulcer and inflammatory process in general, and the nut oil had been topically applied to treat arthritis and other joint pain, however the seeds are classified as toxic for oral use. AIM: Faced with the need for new alternative to treat the symptoms and modify rheumatoid arthritis (RA) the aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of A. moluccanus' leaves dried extract in rats and mice submitted to complete Freund adjuvant (CFA)-induced RA. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Wistar Rats and Swiss mice were submitted to CFA-induced RA in the right hindpaw. They received A. moluccanus extract (orally; p.o.), dexamethasone (subcutaneously), 2″-O-rhamnosylswertisin (p.o.) or vehicle (p.o.), from the 14th day after the CFA injection for up to 8 days. The mechanical hypersensitivity was evaluated using the von Frey filaments and the paw-oedema was measured using a plethysmometer. The rats' injected hindpaw was used to perform the histological analysis. RESULTS: A. moluccanus was able to significantly reduce the mechanical hypersensitivity in both ipsi- and contralateral hindpaws of mice injected with CFA, in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, the paw-oedema was progressively reduced by A. moluccanus. Similar results were obtained for the positive-control drug dexamethasone and the isolated compound 2″-O-rhamnosylswertisin. Besides the effects mentioned above, the extract was also effective to repair the joint damage in CFA-induced RA rats, including reduction of fibrosis, cartilage degradation and bone erosion scores. CONCLUSION: These results together with the literature data reinforce the anti-hypersensitivity and anti-inflammatory activity of A. moluccanus extract. Part of the observed effects is due to the presence of the compound 2″-O-rhamnosylswertisin. The fact that the extract acted as a disease modifier point this herbal product as a promisor and safe tool to treat RA and other associated chronic diseases.

Production of Biodiesel from Candlenut Oil Using a Two-step Co-solvent Method and Evaluation of Its Gaseous Emissions.

Candlenut oil (CNO) is a potentially new feedstock for biodiesel (BDF) production. In this paper, a two-step co-solvent method for BDF production from CNO was examined. Firstly, esterification of free fatty acids (FFAs) (7 wt%) present in CNO was carried out using a co-solvent of acetonitrile (30 wt%) and H2SO4 as a catalyst. The content of FFAs was reduced to 0.8 wt% in 1 h at 65°C. Subsequent transesterification of the crude oil produced was carried out using a co-solvent of acetone (20 wt%) and 1 wt% potassium hydroxide (KOH). Ester content of 99.3% was obtained at 40°C in 45 min. The water content in BDF was 0.023% upon purification using vacuum distillation at 5 kPa. The components of CNO BDF were characterized using a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry and gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. The physicochemical properties of BDF satisfied the ASTM D6751-02 standard. The gaseous exhaust emissions from the diesel engine upon combustion of the BDF blends (B0-B100) with petrodiesel were examined. The emissions of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons were clearly lower, but that of nitrogen oxides was higher in comparison to those from petro-diesel.

Experimental assessment of non-edible candlenut biodiesel and its blend characteristics as diesel engine fuel.

Exploring new renewable energy sources as a substitute of petroleum reserves is necessary due to fulfilling the oncoming energy needs for industry and transportation systems. In this quest, a lot of research is going on to expose different kinds of new biodiesel sources. The non-edible oil from candlenut possesses the potential as a feedstock for biodiesel production. The present study aims to produce biodiesel from crude candlenut oil by using two-step transesterification process, and 10%, 20%, and 30% of biodiesel were mixed with diesel fuel as test blends for engine testing. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and gas chromatography (GC) were performed and analyzed to characterize the biodiesel. Also, the fuel properties of biodiesel and its blends were measured and compared with the specified standards. The thermal stability of the fuel blends was measured by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scan calorimetry (DSC) analysis. Engine characteristics were measured in a Yanmar TF120M single cylinder direct injection (DI) diesel engine. Biodiesel produced from candlenut oil contained 15% free fatty acid (FFA), and two-step esterification and transesterification were used. FTIR and GC remarked the biodiesels' existing functional groups and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) composition. The thermal analysis of the biodiesel blends certified about the blends' stability regarding thermal degradation, melting and crystallization temperature, oxidative temperature, and storage stability. The brake power (BP), brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), and brake thermal efficiency (BTE) of the biodiesel blends decreased slightly with an increasing pattern of nitric oxide (NO) emission. However, the hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxides (CO) of biodiesel blends were found decreased.