A New Method for the Determination of Cyanide Ions and Their Quantification in Some Senegalese Cassava Varieties

Abstract

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a starchy staple food that previous researches have showed to contain cyanogenic compounds, precursors of hydrocyanic acid, undoubtedly toxic for humans. With the aim to deter-mine food security in cassava, this study developed a simple, fast and less expensive step for quantifying cyanide ions by using micro-diffusion with modified Conway cells. After an enzymatic degradation, the cyanide ions were quantified by electrochemical procedures. The validation of this method is estimated. The concentration of cya-nide ions at different part of the samples was determined. The results showed high toxicity in some fresh Sene-galese consumed cassava varieties (>100 mg HCN • kg −1). However, in the processed cassava products, less than 10 mg HCN • kg −1 was found in the different varieties studied except for the chips where the levels of CN − contents were important (>49 mg HCN • kg −1).