Bongkrek acid
Chemical compound
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Bongkrek acid (also known as bongkrekic acid) is a respiratory toxin produced in fermented coconut or maize contaminated by the bacterium Burkholderia gladioli pathovar cocovenenans. It is a highly toxic, heat-stable, colorless, odorless, and highly unsaturated tricarboxylic acid that inhibits the mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier, preventing ATP from leaving the mitochondria to provide metabolic energy to the rest of the cell. Food poisoning by bongkrek acid mainly targets the liver, brain, and kidneys.