Case Reports

Lupin poisoning in a geriatric patient: a case report

Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Received: 13 January 2025
Published: 13 May 2025
310
Views
325
Downloads
76
HTML

Authors

Lupin seeds can contain toxicologically significant bitter quinolizidine alkaloids, which may induce symptoms of poisoning in humans by affecting the nervous, circulatory, and digestive systems. Typical manifestations of lupin alkaloid poisoning include dizziness, confusion, tachycardia, nausea, dry mouth, loss of motor coordination, and, in severe cases, cardiac arrest and respiratory paralysis. This case report describes accidental poisoning following the ingestion of food contaminated by water previously used to boil dry lupin seeds. An 85-year-old woman consumed meals prepared with this water and subsequently exhibited classic symptoms of gastrointestinal poisoning, requiring urgent admission to the emergency department.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Pingault NM, Gibbs RA, Barclay AM, Monaghan M. Two cases of anticholinergic syndrome associated with consumption of bitter lupin flour. Med J Aust 2009;191:173-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.2009.tb02732.x

Risk assessment of the occurrence of alkaloids in lupin seeds. BfR Opinion No 003/2017, 27 March 2017.

Di Grande A, Paradiso R, Amico S, et al. Anticholinergic toxicity associated with lupine seed ingestion: case report. Eur J Emerg Med 2004;11:119-20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00063110-200404000-00014

Pothier J, Cheav SL, Galand N, et al. A comparative study of the effects of sparteine, lupanine and lupin extract on the central nervous system of the mouse. J Pharm Pharmacol 1998;50:949-54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-7158.1998.tb04013.x

Pereira A, Ramos F, Sanches Silva A. Lupin (Lupinus albus L.) seeds: balancing the good and the bad and addressing future challenges. Molecules 2022;27:8557. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27238557

Australia New Zealand Food Authority. Lupin alkaloids in food: a toxicological review and risk assessment. Technical report series no. 3. Available from: https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/sites/default/files/publications/Documents/TR3.pdf.

Luque Marquez R, Gutierrez-Rave M, Infante Miranda F. Acute poisoning by lupine seed debittering water. Vet Hum Toxicol 1991;33:265-7.

Lowen RJ, Alam FK, Edgar JA. Lupin bean toxicity. Med J Aust 1995;162:256-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.1995.tb139879.x

How to Cite



Lupin poisoning in a geriatric patient: a case report. (2025). Geriatric Care, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/gc.2025.13627