The protective effect of two commercial formats of Ginkgo biloba on motor alterations induced by cassava juice (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in Wistar rats. / Efecto protector de 2 presentaciones comerciales de Ginkgo biloba sobre las alteraciones motoras inducidas por el jugo de yuca (Manihot esculenta Crantz) en la rata Wistar.

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluated the protective effects of 2 commercial formats of Ginkgo biloba on motor alterations induced by cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) juice consumption in male Wistar rats. METHODS: The effects were evaluated with the open field and swim tests at 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days of treatment, one hour after administering the product. RESULTS: Compared to controls, open field crossings increased after day 21 of cassava juice consumption, and lateral swimming in the swim test was reported after day 7. CONCLUSION: Ginkgo biloba extracts prevented motor alterations associated with cassava juice consumption, probably due to the flavonoid content in both formats of Ginkgo biloba.

Motor impairments induced by microinjection of linamarin in the dorsal hippocampus of Wistar rats. / Alteraciones motoras inducidas por la microinyección de linamarina en el hipocampo dorsal de la rata Wistar.

INTRODUCTION: Cassava, also known as yuca or manioc (Manihot esculenta Crantz), is a staple food in tropical and subtropical regions since it is an important source of carbohydrates. Nevertheless, it contains cyanogenic compounds including lotaustralin and linamarin, which have been shown by experimental models to affect brain structures such as the thalamus, the piriform cortex, the hippocampus, and others. These findings may explain the presence of such neurological diseases as konzo and tropical ataxic neuropathy. However, hippocampal involvement in the neurological alterations associated with the chemical compounds in cassava has yet to be explored. METHOD: Male Wistar rats (3 months old), were assigned to 4 groups (n = 8 per group) as follows: a vehicle-control group (receiving injectable solution 1µl) and three groups receiving linamarin (10, 15, and 20mM). The substances were microinjected intrahippocampally (CA1) every 24hours for 7 consecutive days, and their effects on locomotor activity, rotarod, and swim tests were assessed daily. RESULTS: Linamarin microinjected into the dorsal hippocampus produced hyperactivity and loss of motor coordination which became more evident as treatment time increased. In the swim test, rats treated with linamarin displayed lateral rotation beginning on the fourth day of microinjection. CONCLUSIONS: Microinjection of linamarin into the dorsal hippocampus of the rat is associated with impaired motor coordination, suggesting that the dorsal hippocampus, among other brain structures, may be affected by the neurological changes associated with inappropriate consumption of cassava in humans.

Quantificação de cianeto total nas etapas de processamento das farinhas de mandioca dos grupos seca e d'água / Total cyanide quantification in processing stages of cassava flour from dry and water groups

O objetivo deste trabalho foi quantificar a concentração de cianeto total durante as etapas de produção da farinha de mandioca dos grupos seca e d'água. Em relação à farinha seca, a concentração de cianeto total na raiz de mandioca diminuiu de 160±11,8 mg HCN/kg para 149±12,3 mg HCN/kg após a trituração, 68±2,5 mg HCN/kg após a prensagem e chegando a 5±0,2 mg HCN/kg no produto final, após o processo de torração. Na produção da farinha d'água, a raiz de mandioca apresentava teor de cianeto total de 321±21,6 mg HCN/kg e durante o processo de fermentação da raiz, o teor de cianeto total nas primeiras 24 horas de fermentação era de 297±2,7 mg HCN/kg chegando a 64±2,3 mg HCN/kg após 96 horas em repouso no tanque. Após trituração e prensagem da massa fermentada, os valores diminuíram para 50±0,6 e 36±0,4 mg HCN/kg, respectivamente, obtendo-se no produto final a concentração de 9±0,1 mg HCN/kg, sendo evidenciado a eficiência do processo de destoxificação em ambos os processamentos.

The aim of this work was to quantify the total cyanide concentration during the production stages of cassava flour from dry and water groups. In relation to dry flour, the total cyanide concentration in the cassava root reduced from 160±11.8 mg HCN/kg to 149±12.3 mg HCN/kg after grinding, 68±2.5mg HCN/kg after pressing and 5±0.2 mg HCN/kg was obtained in the final product after the roasting process. For the water flour production, the cassava root showed 321±21.6 mg HCN/kg total cyanide content, and during the fermentation process, the total cyanide content for the first 24-hour fermentation was from 297±2.7 mg HCN/kg reaching 64±2.3 mg HCN/kg after resting in a pool for 96 hours. After grinding and pressing the fermented roots, the values lowered to 50±0.6 and 36±0.4 mg HCN/kg, respectively. A concentration of 9±0.1 mg HCN/kg was obtained in the final product, evidencing the detoxification process efficiency in both processings.