Unripe ackee fruit and Jamaican vomiting sickness and Hypoglycemia

Unripe ackee fruit is poisonous as it contains a water-soluble toxin called hypoglycin

Hypoglycin induces vomiting CNS depression and symptoms of severe hypoglycemia

The mechanism of action of hypoglycin is that it inhibits gluconeogenesis secondary to interference with acyl coenzyme A and carnitine metabolism which are essential for the oxidation of long chain fatty acids

The ripe fruit does not contain hypoglycin and so these symptoms do not occur

However,unripe ackee fruit can lead to symptoms of hypoglycemia and may prove very poisonous