Aminopropionitrile

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Aminopropionitrile, also known as β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN), is an organic compound with both amine and nitrile functional groups. It is an antirheumatic agent in veterinary medicine. It can cause osteolathyrism, neurolathyrism, and/or angiolathyrism.^[2]

Aminopropionitrile is prepared by the reaction of ammonia with acrylonitrile.^[3]

BAPN is a component of lathyrus odoratus.^[4]

↑ “Aminopropionitrile – Compound Summary”. PubChem Compound. USA: National Center for Biotechnology Information. 25 March 2005. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
↑ Nikolaos Papadantonakis, Shinobu Matsuura, and Katya Ravid. “Megakaryocyte pathology and bone marrow fibrosis: the lysyl oxidase connection”. Blood. 120 (9): 1774–1781. doi:10.1182/blood-2012-02-402594. BAPN is a lathyrogen, the toxic constituent of peas from Lathyrus plants. Lathyrism, a disease known for centuries, encompasses 2 distinct entities: a disorder of the nervous system (neurolathyrism) leading to limb paralysis, and a disorder of connective tissue, causing either bone deformity (osteolathyrism) or aortic aneurisms (angiolathyrim). BAPN causes osteolathyrism and angiolathyrism when ingested in large quantities.
↑ Karsten Eller, Erhard Henkes, Roland Rossbacher, Hartmut Höke “Amines, Aliphatic” in Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2005. doi:10.1002/14356007.a02_001
↑ “Lathyrus”. Washington, DC: American Association for Clinical Chemistry. 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014. Beta-amino-propionitrile (BAPN) found in lathyrus odoratus (our more common garden sweet pea plant) is thought to be responsible for osteolathyrism, which in humans is quite poorly documented.