The biochemical and toxicological effects of occupational and dietary exposure of humans to cyanideudpoisoning from large-scale cassava processing and ingestion of cassava foods were investigated usingudspectrophotometric and enzymatic methods. Analysis of urinary and serum thiocyanate (cyanide metabolite)udfrom workers in cassava processing industries, who were 'frequent' [those who eat cassava food(s) at leastudonce a day] and 'infrequent' [those who eat cassava food(s) only occasionally] consumers ofudcassava-based diets, was carried out with the aid of questionnaries. The mean urinary thiocyanate level ofudthe cassava processors (mean+/-S.D.; 153.50+/-25.21 micromo1/l) was 2.2 and 2.6 times higher than thatudof frequent (70.1+/-21.8 micromo1/l) and infrequent (mean+/-S.D.; 59.30+/-17.0 micromo1/l) cassavaudconsumers, respectively. The mean serum thiocyanate levels rose to 126.73+/-12.4 micromo1/l for theudformer and 68.4+/-18.3 and 54.7+/-13.2 micromo1/l, respectively, for the latter. An increase in plasmaudactivity by 10% above normal of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was observed in 40% of the cassavaudprocessors, whereas it was within normal range in all consumers. The activities of alanine aminotransferaseud(ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALK.PHOS) were within the normal value in all cases studied. The bloodudglucose level of 50% of the cassava processors was 100 mg/ml or above while that of the consumers wasudin the range of 68-85 mg/100 ml. The total protein, serum albumin and creatinine levels were in the range forudnormal values for the processors and consumers. The health implications of these findings are discussed.
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