AIIMS Bhubaneswar Flags Neurotoxin in Odisha’s Cycad Plants
Experts Warn of Possible Links Between Traditional Cycad-Based Foods and Neurological Disorders
Bhubaneswar : In a major scientific development with far-reaching public health implications, researchers have detected BMAA (β-N-methylamino-L-alanine)—a suspected neurotoxin—in several species of ancient Cycad plants growing in Odisha’s forests, AIIMS Bhubaneswar announced in a press statement on Monday.
The finding has sparked concern because certain tribal and rural communities in Odisha continue to consume cycad-based foods, including pitha, as part of traditional rituals and dietary practices. Whether such consumption is directly linked to increased cases of neurological illnesses remains a pressing question and has prompted AIIMS Bhubaneswar to launch deeper scientific investigations.
To address these concerns, leading national and international scientists and medical experts recently participated in an international workshop titled “Cycad-Related Neurological Disorders: A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Its Remediation.” The event was jointly organised by the Department of Neurology at AIIMS Bhubaneswar and the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong.
According to AIIMS Bhubaneswar, the workshop underscored the potential health hazards associated with cycads—ancient plants that existed even before the dinosaurs more than 300 million years ago. While they are widely used today as ornamental garden plants, cycads naturally contain potent toxins such as Cycacin, BMAA, and MAM (methylazoxymethanol).
These toxic compounds have been previously linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinsonism, motor neuron disease, and dementia in global hotspots like Guam (USA) and the Kii Peninsula (Japan), where cycads traditionally formed part of the local diet.
As part of the workshop activities, experts carried out extensive field visits to several villages in Odisha, including Dhuanali in Khordha and Gangamunda and Suaginali in the Kamakhyanagar area of Dhenkanal district. In these regions, tribal communities still use seeds of the Cycas plant—locally known as Veru or Aruguna—as a food source.
During the visits, scientists interacted with villagers, patients, and healthcare workers to understand whether consumption of cycad-based food products may be associated with neurological or related health disorders. The field observations, combined with laboratory findings, will help researchers map potential disease patterns and assess risks faced by vulnerable communities.
AIIMS Bhubaneswar has indicated that further studies are underway to determine safe consumption thresholds, identify detoxification methods, and formulate public health guidelines. The institution emphasized that raising awareness at the community level will be essential, especially in areas where cycad-based foods continue to play a cultural and nutritional role.
The discovery marks an important step toward understanding plant-linked neurological disorders in India and could shape future policy and health advisories aimed at protecting rural and tribal populations from preventable neurological risks.
