title: Presence of L-canavanine in Hedysarum alpinum seeds and its potential role in the death of Chris McCandless.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  For the past 2 decades there has been vigorous disagreement over the purported toxicity of Hedysarum alpinum seeds, and whether the consumption of such seeds was a factor in the 1992 death of Chris McCandless, the subject of the book Into the Wild. Our objective was to confirm or disprove the presence of L-canavanine (a nonprotein amino acid known to induce systemic lupuslike symptoms in humans) in H alpinum seeds.
  
  
  METHODS
  Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis of H alpinum seeds was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our analysis confirmed the presence of L-canavanine in H alpinum seeds and demonstrated that it is a significant component of the seeds, with a concentration of 1.2% (weight/weight), roughly half of that found in Canavalia ensiformis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data led us to conclude it is highly likely that the consumption of H alpinum seeds contributed to the death of Chris McCandless.
authors.affiliation: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, New York, NY (Mr Krakauer). Electronic address: arrigetch@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krakauer
authors.affiliation: Avomeen Analytical Services, Ann Arbor, MI (Drs Long, Kolbert, and Thanedar).
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Avomeen Analytical Services, Ann Arbor, MI (Drs Long, Kolbert, and Thanedar).
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kolbert
authors.affiliation: Avomeen Analytical Services, Ann Arbor, MI (Drs Long, Kolbert, and Thanedar).
authors.forename: Shri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thanedar
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA (Dr Southard).
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Southard
mesh_terms: D002172:Canavanine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000506:poisoning; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D015874:Yukon Territory
chemical_list: D002172:Canavanine
keywords: Hedysarum alpinum; Hedysarum mackenzii; Into the Wild; L-canavanine; McCandless; ODAP