What Is Cassava? Other Names: Brazilian Arrowroot, Cassave, Manihot esculenta

What is Cassava?

This post was written with Consensus AI Academic Search Engine – please read our Disclaimer at the end of this article. Cassava, scientifically known as Manihot esculenta Crantz, is a crucial staple crop, particularly for populations with limited resources. It is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions and serves as a primary source of calories for millions of people. Other names include: Brazilian Arrowroot, Cassave, Kassava, Kassave, Mandioca, Manihot esculenta, Manioc, Manioc Tapioca, Manioca, Maniok, Maniokki, Tapioca, Tapioca Plant, Yuca.

Nutritional Profile

Cassava is known for its high caloric content, making it an essential food source in many developing countries. However, it is often deficient in essential mineral elements, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies in populations that rely heavily on cassava-based diets1.

Agronomic Biofortification

To address the nutritional deficiencies associated with cassava, agronomic biofortification has been explored as a strategy to enhance its yield and nutritional quality. A study conducted in the rainforest agro-ecological zone of southeast Nigeria focused on increasing the concentrations of bioavailable mineral elements in a specific cassava variety, UMUCASS 38 (TMS 01/1371), through the application of micronutrients such as zinc (Zn), iodine (I), and selenium (Se)1.

Research Findings

The research utilized a randomized complete block design to test the effects of foliar applications of Zn, I, Se, and their combination at different growth stages of cassava. The results demonstrated that the application of these micronutrients, particularly in combination, significantly increased cassava tuber yields without causing phytotoxicity or altering soil properties. The combined application of Zn, Se, and I at the tuber initiation stage was found to be most effective, indicating a synergistic interaction among these elements1.

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Uses of Cassava

Food and Nutrition

Staple Food: Cassava is a crucial staple crop, especially in resource-poor regions, providing high energy and calorie content. However, it is often deficient in essential minerals, which can be improved through agronomic biofortification with micronutrients like zinc, selenium, and iodine to enhance its nutritional quality2.

Frozen Products: Cassava can be processed and stored in frozen form, which helps in reducing cyanide levels and extends its shelf life up to three months, making it safer and more convenient for consumption5.

Agricultural Uses

Soil and Crop Management: Cassava’s growth and nutritional performance can be monitored using imaging technologies, which help in making informed crop management decisions, such as irrigation and fertilization1.

Fertilization: Cassava wastewater, a by-product of cassava flour production, can be used as a fertilizer for other crops like Capsicum chinense, potentially replacing mineral fertilizers and promoting sustainable agricultural practices6.

Medicinal Uses

Wound Healing: Cassava leaves contain compounds with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. They are traditionally used for treating burns and wounds, with studies showing significant burn healing activity4.

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Adverse Effects of Cassava

Adverse Health Effects

Cyanide Toxicity: Cassava contains cyanogenic glycosides that can be metabolized into hydrogen cyanide, leading to potential neurotoxic effects such as konzo, a neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons3. Prolonged consumption of inadequately processed cassava can impair motor coordination and cause neurological changes3.

Teratogenic Effects: Fermented cassava has been shown to have potential teratogenic effects in animal studies, leading to spontaneous abortion and fetal death, particularly in pregnant mice2. This suggests that consumption of fermented cassava may be unsafe for pregnant women.

Liver Damage: Consumption of cassava leaves can induce pathological changes in the liver, such as degenerative atrophic hepatocytes and sinusoidal dilatation, indicating potential liver damage4.

Anemia: Diets based on cassava can lead to microcytic hypochromic anemia, as observed in animal studies, due to the toxic effects of cassava-cyanide5.

Environmental and Agricultural Effects

Soil Depletion: Cassava cultivation can lead to soil nutrient depletion, although the application of cassava wastewater can alter soil chemical attributes, such as increasing phosphorus and potassium but decreasing calcium, magnesium, and organic matter10.

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How has Cassava Improved Patient Outcomes?

Vitamin A Status Improvement

Nigerian Preschool Children: Daily consumption of pro-vitamin A biofortified yellow cassava significantly improved serum retinol concentrations and hemoglobin levels in preschool children. This suggests a modest but positive impact on vitamin A status, which is crucial for preventing deficiencies in regions like sub-Saharan Africa1.

Kenyan Schoolchildren: Similarly, in Kenyan children with marginal vitamin A status, yellow cassava consumption led to modest increases in serum retinol and substantial increases in serum β-carotene concentrations. This indicates that yellow cassava can be an effective strategy to improve vitamin A status in populations at risk of deficiency2.

Other Health Benefits

Diabetes Management in Animal Models: In a study involving diabetic Wistar rats, cassava extract improved pancreatic histology and increased the thickness of seminiferous tubules. This suggests potential benefits of cassava in managing diabetes-related organ damage, likely due to its antioxidant properties3.

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Cassava Mechanisms of Action

Photosynthesis and Herbicide Interaction

Cassava’s photosynthetic mechanism can be affected by herbicides, which alter its photosynthetic capacity. Different herbicides have varying impacts on cassava, with some causing plant death and others showing low toxicity and allowing recovery of photosynthetic efficiency over time1.

Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Effects

Cassava shoot aqueous extract (CSAE) exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It can protect against liver injury induced by paracetamol, likely due to the antioxidant activity of flavonol glycosides such as quercetin 3-O-rutinoside and kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside. These compounds help reduce liver enzymes and oxidative stress markers, enhancing liver health2.

Nutritional and Health Benefits

Biofortified yellow cassava, rich in β-carotene, can improve vitamin A status in populations with marginal vitamin A levels. Consumption of yellow cassava leads to increased serum retinol and β-carotene concentrations, offering a nutritional strategy to combat vitamin A deficiency3.

Effects on Animal Health

Cassava foliage, when used as animal feed, enhances antioxidant capacity, growth performance, and immunity in goats. It improves feed intake and conversion, boosts antioxidant enzyme levels, and enhances immune markers. Additionally, it positively alters rumen fermentation and microbial metabolism, promoting beneficial bacterial growth and metabolite production4.

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Common Complaints Associated with Cassava Use

Soil Nutrient Depletion: Cassava is often grown with low management inputs, leading to soil depletion and reduced yields. The use of organic inputs like humic substances has been explored, but results show that such treatments can reduce nutrient uptake and efficiency in cassava plants, making them less effective under certain conditions1.

Water Stress: Cassava productivity is significantly constrained by water deficit conditions. Studies have shown that water stress, especially when combined with low potassium nutrition, can severely impact cassava’s growth and nutritional performance. This stress can be monitored using imaging techniques, which help in making informed crop management decisions2.

Nutrient Uptake Inefficiencies: Cassava’s growth on nutrient-poor soils is a challenge, particularly under varying water stress conditions. While the application of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers can improve growth, the effectiveness varies with the level of water stress. High fertilizer application tends to yield better growth results, even under severe water stress conditions3.

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Disclaimer

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