Lathyrus latifolius

Selenocystathionin occurs in seeds of the Central and South American Lecythis ollaria. It causes abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Lathyrus odora-tus contains aminopropionitrile (Rosenthal and Bell, 1979). 2,4-Diaminobutyric acid (Fig. 11.10) in Lathyrus latifolius and Lathyrus sylvestris causes muscular weakness, paralysis, and death in humans and other mammals. In India, 25000 cases of this neurolathyrism were reported in a population of 634000 people (Rosenthal, 1991). 3-Cyanoalanine (Fig. 11.10) from Vivia sativa and 15 other Vivia species causes convulsion, rigidity, and death. 

Lathyrus and Vida are closely related genera of the Faba-ceae both are of considerable economic importance. Although the seeds of some species such as Vida faba and V. sativa, are edible, those of many species of both genera are poisonous. Consumption of seeds of the genus Lathyrus (Fa-baceae) by man and many of his domestic animals produces a syndrome called lathyrism, which may be subdivided into neurolathyrism and osteolathyrism. The most important species that cause neurolathyrism are Lathyrus sativus, L. sylv-estris, L. cicera, L. latifolius, and L. clymenum (Rosenthal,... 

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