Hypoglycin A and Jamaican vomiting sickness
Hipoglicina A y la enfermedad vomitiva de Jamaica
- Date
- 1954-1955 · confidence medium
- Place
- Mona, Kingston, Jamaica
- Credited to
- C. H. Hassall, K. Reyle and colleagues, University College of the West Indies
- Field
- Life & health
What was discovered
In 1954-1955 chemists isolated hypoglycin A from ackee (Blighia sapida), a toxic amino acid that causes severe hypoglycaemia and explains 'Jamaican vomiting sickness' from eating unripe fruit. It solved a medical mystery known in Jamaica since the 19th century.
The isolation was published in 1954-1955 (Hassall and Reyle). The association between unripe ackee and the disease had already been described in the early 20th century. Dates may vary depending on whether the first note or the full paper is cited.
What it led to
- standards for harvesting and processing ackee for safe export
- understanding of the inhibition of fatty-acid beta-oxidation
- hypoglycin A as the cause of atypical equine myopathy (later finding)