Elimination of the tremorgenic toxin of Ipomoea asarifolia by milk

Abstract

RESUMO.-[Eliminação da toxina tremorgênica de INTRODUCTIONIpomoea asarifolia R. et Schult. (common name: salsa), family Convolvulaceae, is a plant native to South and Central America. In Brazil it is very common in the Amazon region, in the Northeast, and along the coast, from northern Brazil to the southern states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo (Kissmann & Groth 1992). I. asarifolia is a tremorgenic plant that causes poisoning in sheep (Döbereiner et al. 1960, Guedes et al. 2007), goats (Döbereiner et al. 1960, Medeiros et al. 2003, Guedes et al. 2007), cattle (Döbereiner et al. 1960, Barbosa et al. 2005) and buffalo (Barbosa et al. 2005). Clinical signs caused by I. asarifolia are similar than those caused by the indole-diterpene mycotoxins produced by different fungi (di Menna et al. 2012, Cawdell-Smith et al. 2010, but the tremorgenic toxin of the plant is unknown.In With the aim to determine if the tremorgenic toxin of Ipomoea asarifolia is eliminated in milk, three groups of Swiss female mice received, immediately after giving birth until weaning, a ration containing 20% or 30% of dry I. asarifolia. All the offspring of the females that received 20% or 30% I. asarifolia showed tremors 2-4 days after birth. The offspring of the females that received 20% I. asarifolia recovered 4-7 days after weaning. The offspring of the females that received 30% of the plant in the ration died while showing tremors before weaning or up to two days after weaning. It is concluded that the tremorgenic compound of I. asarifolia or its toxic metabolites are eliminated in milk, and that lactating mice may be used as a model for the determination of the toxic compound(s) in this plant.

Spontaneous and experimental poisoning by Froelichia humboldtiana in cattle

“…The toxic principle of F. humboldtiana is unknown, but it is suggested that naftodiantrones may be related to the pathogenesis of tegumentary lesions (Pimentel et al 2007). Other toxins from Brazilian plants can be excreted in milk, such as pyrrolizidine alkaloids, steroidal saponins, monocrotaline, ptaquiloside, and tremogenic toxin from Ipomoea asarifolia (Dickinson et al 1976, James 1994, Medeiros & Górniak 1995, Lemos et al 1998, Lopes et al 2014.Therefore, the possibility of F. humboldtiana toxin(s) being excreted by the milk of poisoned cows should be investigated better, since this characteristic was not observed in previous studies in cows (Knupp et al 2018) and dairy goats (Santos et al 2017).…”

Neonatal mortality associated with sodium monofluoracetate in kids fed with colostrum from goats ingesting Amorimia septentrionalis

“…It has already been demonstrated that other plants in the semi-arid region also have phytotoxins eliminated in milk, causing poisoning of offspring that ingest it. Using mice as an experimental model, Lopes et al (2014) demonstrated that the tremorgenic toxin present in Ipomoea asarifolia, or its metabolite, is eliminated in the milk of females that consume ration containing this plant, causing tremors and even the death of the offspring. Posteriorly, Carvalho de Lucena et al (2014) also confirmed the occurrence of poisoning in lambs that ingested milk from ewes that fed exclusively on I. asarifolia.…”

Fotossensibilização primária em bovinos leiteiros causada por Froelichia humboldtiana

“…Outras toxinas que podem ser eliminadas pelo leite são os alcalóides pirrolizidínicos (Dickinson et al 1976), as saponinas esteroidais (Lemos et al 1998), as monocrotalinas (Medeiros & Górniak 1995, Medeiros et al 1998, 1999 e o ptaquilosídeo, que é o princípio ativo de Pteridium aquilinum (James 1994). Além destes compostos, a toxina tremorgênica da Ipomoea asarifolia também é excretada pelo leite (James 1994, Lopes et al 2014.…”