SC - poison in peach pits

[Robbin Long]

The seeds of most fruits, red or no, contain trace to moderate amounts of cyanide bound up as cyanoglucosides. Cyanide does smell like almonds - I can confirm this first hand as the result of a lab accident while working on my dissertation.  The compound found in both peach pits and almonds is amygdalin - a complex sugar containing a cyano group that is released by your intestinal flora. The only real difference between the two is one of concentration.  This is also the compound that was touted as a cancer cure (Laetrile) as was mentioned in another post.

The association you have of cyanide with red fruit is probably due to confusion with the red pigments called anthocyanins, which are found in high levels in all red, purple and blue fruit.  They don't contain cyano groups as part of their structure, so to the laymen the name looks misleading. Anthocyanins, far from being toxic, have potent anti-oxidant properties and evidence points to a protective role in the prevention of DNA damage that might lead to cancer.

Eat your red fruits - just don't go popping the seeds :-)

Broinnfhionn
(plant biochemist)

Robbin L. Long, PhD
Plant Physiologist
USDA-ARS, SRRC
1100 Robert E. Lee Blvd.
New Orleans, LA  70124
(504) 286-4352 phone
(504) 286-4419 fax
rlong at srrc.ars.usda.gov 


>>> sca-cooks <owner-sca-cooks at ansteorra.org> 03/28/01 09:36AM >>>

 believe that it's cyanide that is in almonds tho.

Yeah, I think it's cyanic acid or some such...very
small amounts, though, and nothing to concern yourself
with.

Maybe one of the botanical wonders on this list could
answer this for me... Don't all red fruits and
vegetables contain trace amounts of cyanide, as well? 
It seems to me that i recall reading that long, long
ago.  Or not...

Balthazar of Blackmoor