Roasted or boiled seeds of Abrus precatorius are traditionally eaten in some parts of India without ill effect. The reason for loss of toxicity on heating is:

• A Abrin is converted into an inactive glucoside by heat
• B Heat destroys the seed coat and allows neutralisation by gastric acid
• C Abrin is a heat-labile protein that is denatured by cooking ✓
• D Heating converts abrin into agglutinin, which is non-toxic

Explanation

Abrin is a large protein toxin, a Type II ribosome-inactivating protein, and proteins lose their three-dimensional structure and biological activity on heating. Roasting or boiling therefore detoxifies the seed, a fact exploited in traditional practice. Option A is wrong because abrin is not a glucoside, and option D is wrong because abrin and abrus agglutinin are separate constituents present together in the raw seed.

Reference: Parikh's Textbook of Medical Jurisprudence and Toxicology, 7th ed.

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