What is the name of the toxin responsible for lathyrism?
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4 min read
According to ancient texts from Hippocrates, symptoms of a neurological disorder linked to consuming Lathyrus peas were described as early as 400 B.C., a disease now known to be caused by the toxin responsible for lathyrism, β-N-oxalyl-L-α,β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP). This neurotoxin is the primary cause of the debilitating condition known as neurolathyrism.
