Toxicology: ackee fruit poisoning: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Toxicology: ackee fruit poisoning

Sample item

A child who ate unripe ackee fruit has severe vomiting followed by convulsions and profound hypoglycaemia. Which toxin is responsible?

AHypoglycin ABAmygdalinCGossypolDRicin

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Hypoglycin A

Unripe ackee contains hypoglycin A, which inhibits gluconeogenesis and fatty acid oxidation and causes Jamaican vomiting sickness with severe hypoglycaemia. Amygdalin releases cyanide, ricin is a lectin from castor and gossypol is from cottonseed.

Option by option

A. Hypoglycin A (correct)
Correct. Hypoglycin A from unripe ackee causes vomiting and hypoglycaemia.
B. Amygdalin
Amygdalin is a cyanogenic glycoside giving cyanide poisoning.
C. Gossypol
Gossypol from cottonseed causes male infertility and hypokalaemia.
D. Ricin
Ricin is a protein toxin from castor seeds causing gastroenteritis and organ failure.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is A, Hypoglycin A. Unripe ackee contains hypoglycin A, which inhibits gluconeogenesis and fatty acid oxidation and causes Jamaican vomiting sickness with severe hypoglycaemia.

Why is "Amygdalin" not the answer?

Amygdalin is a cyanogenic glycoside giving cyanide poisoning.

Why is "Gossypol" not the answer?

Gossypol from cottonseed causes male infertility and hypokalaemia.

Why is "Ricin" not the answer?

Ricin is a protein toxin from castor seeds causing gastroenteritis and organ failure.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Toxicology: ackee fruit poisoning in Forensic Medicine. Amygdalin releases cyanide, ricin is a lectin from castor and gossypol is from cottonseed.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Toxicology: ackee fruit poisoning?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.