ISHS Acta Horticulturae 207: Naturally Occuring Toxins in Horticultural Food Crops, XXII IHC
NATURALLY-OCCURRING TOXICANTS IN HORTICULTURAL FOOD CROPS |
| Author: | James T. MacGregor |
| Abstract:
Many plant foods contain natural or processing-induced constituents with biological activity in mammals. Among these are glycoalkaloids, amines, glucosinolates, cyanogenic glycosides, protease inhibitors, oxalates, coumarins, polyphenols, cyclopropenoid fatty acids, phytates, xanthines and essential oils. Recently, various lines of evidence have suggested that plant-derived constituents may play an important role in determining spontaneous rates of genetic damage and tumor incidence. Dietary antioxidants such as  -carotene, vitamins A and C, tocopherols, and glutathione have been suggested to protect against endogenous oxygen-radical damage.
On the other hand, genotoxic constituents such as certain flavones, anthraquinones, browning products, benzoxazinones, and acetals have been identified in plant-derived foods, and unsaturated oilseed lipids have been found to increase cancers of certain sites, particularly intestine and breast, in laboratory animals.
Whether these constituents play a significant quantitative role in human health is a key scientific issue which is at present not adequately resolved.
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