Cyanogenic Glycosides - Their Role and Potential in Plant Food Resources

Abstract

Plants have metabolites and mechanisms that provide them with the basic building blocks for germination, growth, and reproduction processes, while providing them with protection and increasing their adaptation to environmental stresses. Due to their multifunctional significance, cyanogenic glycosides (CNG) indicate the importance of their role in the plant organism. Their diversity and biochemical origin are worth noting. Paradoxically, several nutritionally important food sources of plant origin are characterized by the presence of cyanogenic glycosides in various tissues. Processing approaches of plant food resources ensure a reduction in the content of these ingredients to an acceptable safe level. Different bacteria-based biotechnological processes are applied to minimize the content of CNG in food products. For the usability and identification of the added value of plant food resources, it is important to know the functions and importance of antinutritional components of metabolism with a consequent impact on nutrition and health. In the review we provided a comprehensive view of the importance and potential of CNG in plants with a focus on food sources, where the model object was presented by linseed.

In silico prediction of microRNA families involved in the biosynthesis of lignans and cyanogenic glycosides in flax (Linum usitatissimum L.)

“…Moreover, this is probably the first publication about microRNAs involved in the metabolic pathway of cyanogenic glycosides. These results build upon our previous theoretical reviews (Harenčár et al 2021;Ražná et al 2022) and open the space for future transcriptomic (RT-qPCR and RNA-seq) and metabolomic (targeted and untargeted metabolomics) research.…”

“…On the other hand, cyanogenic glycosides, as a fraction of antinutrients, may reduce these benefits and even act antagonistically to the synthesis of lignans (Kazachkov et al 2020;Zuk et al 2020). An important milestone will be achieving an optimal ratio of nutritional and antinutritional components while maintaining current physiological parameters (Harenčár et al 2021). The scientific potential of micro-RNAs lies mainly in their posttranscriptional silencing, which can occur within both the maternal and host organism (Loreti and Perata 2022).…”

Mandelonitrile lyase MDL2-mediated regulation of seed amygdalin and oil accumulation of Prunus Sibirica

“…Cyanogenic glycosides (CNGs) are natural defense compounds identified in several plant species of different families, including economically significant fruit trees and crops (such as cassava, barley, apple, cherry, apricot, almond and wheat) [ 1 – 6 ]. Yet, the toxic hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is emitted from foods containing CNGs while being digested, and long-term consumption of edible plants with high level of CNGs may has a negative effect on human with adverse symptoms (such as headache, weakness, hyperventilation, vomiting, and respiratory system failure) at sub-acute cyanide dose, and even death at acute lethal dose [ 4 , 7 ]. Hence, the cyanide poisoning in human has become a severe health problem in world.…”

“…Hence, the cyanide poisoning in human has become a severe health problem in world. Several processing methods (such as peeling, fermenting, bacteria degradation, drying, boiling, soaking, and crushing) have been applied to reduce toxicity to safe level [ 4 , 8 ], but all of which required a lot of time and cost, and caused serious environment pollution through release of dangerous cyanide gases or effluent water from processing factories [ 9 – 12 ], and thereby it is often impossible to remove all the CNGs through conventional processing. Yet, genetic engineering approach may offer an alternative method to reduce plant CNG content.…”

The Potential of Regional Food Product Quince in Powdered Form as a Good Source of Bioactive Compounds

“…A decoction of dried quince leaves has been proven to alleviate coughs and respiratory problems and soothe asthma attacks. [7][8].…”