Cardiovascular effects in bonnet monkeys (Macaca radiata) of a cassava-based protein-deficient diet.

Bonnet Monkeys (Macaca radiata) were maintained for up to 5 mo on protein-deficient diets that contained tapioca starch (cassava starch) as the source of carbohydrate. The animals developed mucopolysaccharidosis of blood vessels and cardiomyopathic changes in the heart. These changes were similar to the mucoid vasculopathy and cardiomyopathy seen in Kerala where tapioca is consumed as a staple diet by a large proportion of the people. The lesions were enhanced by longer duration of feeling the diet and in protein-deficient animals given additional amounts of tapioca starch. This indicates that protein-carbohydrate malnutrition does play a role in the induction of such cardiovascular disorders.