Heads-up - Toxic Squash Syndrome

[Tarrel]

...Otherwise known as cucurbitacin poisoning.

I had a nasty bout of this yesterday evening, and would not wish it on anybody!

With our Sunday lunch we prepared a medley of roasted vegetables,including green tomatoes, carrots and an edible gourd we had grown in the garden. I was interested to know what the gourd tasted like, as I've never tried one. I took a small bite (maybe one cubic centimetre). The taste was the most bitter thing I have ever experienced. The only thing that has come close was when I accidentally ingested a small amount of meths on the pan of my Trangia stove. Needless to say, I didn't eat any more. The other members of the lunch party were surprised, as they felt that their gourd, though slightly bitter, was perfectly edible.

The trouble started about three hours later, first with stomach cramps, then several bouts of diahhorea in quick succession. I then experienced severe nausea, passed out and, on coming round, suffered profuse sweating and involuntary muscle spasms in my arms and legs. I seriously thought I'd had it for a moment. I have never felt so ill.

I dragged myself to bed and went into a deep sleep for two hours. When I woke up I felt fine. Very hungry and n need of sugar. I'm fine today, if a little "delicate" down below.

On reseaching what happened, it appears that, occasionally, one can find extreme concentrations of cucurbitacin toxin in some squash-type vegetables. This naturally occurs in all members of the cucumber family, as a defence against insect attack. Why it becomes concentrated doesn't seem to be fully understood; genetic mutation and specific growing conditions being some possible factors.

The extreme bitterness is a warning sign, but you only have to digest a small amount for there to be dire consequences. Cooking, apparently, doesn't destroy the toxin. My advice is; if you eat any member of the cucumber family, bought or home-grown, and you experience extreme bitterness, don't swallow the mouthful. Spit it out and rinse out your mouth!

ETA: the vegetable we ate all came from the same individual gourd, and my wife and mother were fine, sonthe concentration mustbhave been extremely localised.

[ujoni08]

Thanks for the heads up! Sounds awful. Hope you feel better soon.

[emordnilap]

Thanks Tarrel, for being a guinea pig for us.

[PS_RalphW]

http://www.foodsafetywatch.com/public/504print.cfm

Effects on health

Cucurbitacins are toxic at high levels, but they are so bitter that it is almost impossible for anyone to eat sufficient quantity of the toxins to cause significant harm. Cucurbitacin-B, for example, has an oral LD50 in the mouse of 5 mg/kg body weight. Theoretically, this means that a dose of 300 mg could be sufficient to kill a human.

In New Zealand, in the early summer of 2001, there was a series of cases of severe stomach cramps associated with eating courgettes. So many cases were reported that the health authorities instigated an official investigation. Many of those who became ill reported eating bitter-tasting courgettes. The summer had been unusually wet, which favoured fungal infection, and it is likely that increased fungal infection led to up-regulation of the genes involved in cucurbitacin production, thus increasing the toxin levels in the courgettes.

Because of their extreme bitter taste, ingestion of cucurbitacins is usually limited and symptoms of intoxication are generally mild. Stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea have all been reported.

Sources

The natural production of cucurbitacins, which occurs in members of the Cucurbitacea family, is controlled by the plants so that they are produced only when they are needed. The gene that codes for curcubitacin production is switched on only when climatic conditions are favourable for insect infestation or fungal infection. Their concentration therefore varies according to weather and the potential for fungal infestation or insect attack.

1. cut off the flower end of the vegetable.
2. Harvest earlier in wet summers.
3. Avoid plants with signs of fungal infection.
4. err, that's it.

[RenewableCandy]

When I was in China I was offered something called "Ku-Gua". "Gua" seems to be the general name for gourd-like veg and fruit, and "Ku" means bitter. Chinese manners are a bit like those in France and I didn't want to offend: nevertheless I could only eat about 2 small mouthfuls of the stuff, it tasted awful! I got a lot of ribbing about "not being able to eat bitterness" (chinese metaphor for enduring suffering) and that I would make a terrible Revolutionary

Which makes me wonder, is it a bit like alcohol (only the other way round) in this case, with Chinese people having a higher tolerence to the stuff than us big-noses.

[PS_RalphW]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momordica_charantia

I guess it works on the principal of kill or cure - if that doesn't flush out the harmful bacteria, you are better off dead.

[Tarrel]

http://www.foodsafetywatch.com/public/504print.cfm

Effects on health

Cucurbitacins are toxic at high levels, but they are so bitter that it is almost impossible for anyone to eat sufficient quantity of the toxins to cause significant harm. Cucurbitacin-B, for example, has an oral LD50 in the mouse of 5 mg/kg body weight. Theoretically, this means that a dose of 300 mg could be sufficient to kill a human.

In New Zealand, in the early summer of 2001, there was a series of cases of severe stomach cramps associated with eating courgettes. So many cases were reported that the health authorities instigated an official investigation. Many of those who became ill reported eating bitter-tasting courgettes. The summer had been unusually wet, which favoured fungal infection, and it is likely that increased fungal infection led to up-regulation of the genes involved in cucurbitacin production, thus increasing the toxin levels in the courgettes.

Because of their extreme bitter taste, ingestion of cucurbitacins is usually limited and symptoms of intoxication are generally mild. Stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea have all been reported.

Sources

The natural production of cucurbitacins, which occurs in members of the Cucurbitacea family, is controlled by the plants so that they are produced only when they are needed. The gene that codes for curcubitacin production is switched on only when climatic conditions are favourable for insect infestation or fungal infection. Their concentration therefore varies according to weather and the potential for fungal infestation or insect attack.

1. cut off the flower end of the vegetable.
2. Harvest earlier in wet summers.
3. Avoid plants with signs of fungal infection.
4. err, that's it.

1. Can't guarantee we did this
2. Not an issue - dry summer
3. No sign

Seems like I was just unlucky. The toxin has its own very strident "arrival call" in the bitter taste. The lesson I learned was, if you encounter such a taste, spit the food out. Don't swallow it. (and believe me, you'll know about the taste!)

There was a positive though. Call me a wimp, but I honestly thought I was going to die last night. It helps to put one's life in perspective.