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DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1320684
Annonaceous acetogenins as environmental neurotoxins: Human exposure from edible Annona fruits
Annonaceous acetogenins (AAGs) are inhibitors of the first complex in mitochondrial respiratory chain. They are proposed as environmental neurotoxins responsible for Guadeloupean atypical Parkinsonism. The edible fruits of Annona muricata L. (soursop) and Asimina triloba Dunal (pawpaw) were previously shown to constitute major sources of exposure to these compounds. We performed study of total extracts using MALDI-TOF MS and dereplicative methods, and here propose quantitative data showing homogeneity between fruits of A. muricata from diverse origins, in which annonacin is the major AAG. The fruits of A. squamosa also constitute a source of exposure, with squamocin as the major representative of AAGs. The fruit of A. reticulata and edible products derived from A. cherimolia were similarly studied. Our results are significant in regard to public health and support the inclusion of Annona spp. exposure/consumption in studies investigating potential risk factors for neurodegeneration.