Cyanogen, effect

It is the view of at least one author, L. Kassarov, that the cyanogenic effect has no influence on rejection of butterflies and moths by birds and animals. The release of HCN is too slow to protect the insect. Not even the bitterness of the compounds is responsible, since the compounds are... 

Thiocyanate ion, SCN , inhibits formation of thyroid hormones by inhibiting the iodination of tyrosine residues in thyroglobufin by thyroid peroxidase. This ion is also responsible for the goitrogenic effect of cassava (manioc, tapioca). Cyanide, CN , is liberated by hydrolysis from the cyanogenic glucoside finamarin it contains, which in turn is biodetoxified to SCN. 

A number of other syntheses of coniine have been effected, of which that of Diels and Alder is of special interest. The initial adduct of pyridine and methyl acetylenedicarboxylate, viz., tetraraethylquinolizine-1 2 3 4-tetracarboxylate (IX) on oxidation with dilute nitric acid is converted into methyl indolizinetricarboxylate (X). This, on hydrolysis and decarboxylation, furnishes indolizine, the octahydro-derivative (XI) of which, also known as octahydropyrrocoline, is converted by the cyanogen bromide method (as applied by Winterfeld and Holschneider to lupinane, p. 123) successively into the broraocyanoamide (XII), cyanoaraide (XIII) and dZ-coniine (XIV). A synthesis of the alkaloid, starting from indolizine (pyrrocoline) is described by Ochiai and Tsuda. ... 

The prototype of this series is synthesized by first reacting morphine with cyanogen bromide. This reagent in effect serves to replace the methyl group by cyano. Hydrolysis of the intermediate (11) affords desmethylmorphine (12). Alkylation of the last with allyl bromide affords nalorphine (13). ... 

The authors suggest that altitudinal variation in phytochemical constituents remains unknown. That this is factually incorrect is revealed by the well-known work on the effect of elevation on cyanogenic glycosides, as shown in the case of the clovers above, as well as in the case of alkaloid variation in Berberis just described. 

Some compounds have a detoxification rate that is significant. Because the body detoxifies such chemical agents as AC and cyanogen chloride (CK) at a fairly rapid rate, it takes high concentrations of these agents to produce maximum casualty effects. 

Effects from vapor exposure begin to appear 1-2 minutes after exposure. Pulmonary edema, caused by inhalation of cyanogen halides, does not occur until after a substantial latency period. 

Exposure to solid or liquid cyanogen halides can cause skin and eye irritation. Otherwise, casualties exposed to cyanides experience few effects at sublethal doses. Percutaneous absorption of a lethal dose may produce temporary rapid and deep breathing followed by convulsions and unconsciousness. Under these circumstances, the casualty will stop breathing within 2-4 minutes after exposure. Death will occur 4-8 minutes later. 

Linamurin is the principal cyanogenic glycoside in cassava its toxicity is due to hydrolysis by intestinal microflora releasing free cyanide (Padmaja and Panikkar 1989). Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) fed 1.43 mg linamurin/kg BW daily (10 mg/kg BW weekly) for 24 weeks showed effects similar to those of rabbits fed 0.3 mg KCN/kg BW weekly. Specihc effects produced by linamurin and KCN included elevated lactic acid in heart, brain, and liver reduced glycogen in liver and brain and marked depletion in brain phospholipids (Padmaja and Panikkar 1989). 

Effects of drought and other factors that may increase the concentration of cyanogenic glycosides in livestock forage plants... 

Effects of cyanide on wildlife and range animals that graze foliage with high cyanogenic glycoside content (Towill et al. 1978)... 

Milligan and Jacox 44 have recently reported an elegant synthesis of CF2 in an argon matrix. Carbon atoms, produced from the photolysis of cyanogen azide, were allowed to react with molecular fluorine, and the presence of CF2 was demonstrated from infrared spectra. Use of radiation effective in photolyzing F2 produced CF3 from the reaction of the CF2 with atomic fluorine. 

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