Premium
The toxicity of Castanospermum australe seeds for cattle
Author(s) -
McKENZIE RA,
REICHMANN KG,
DIMMOCK CK,
DUNSTER PJ,
TWIST JO
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
australian veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.382
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1751-0813
pISSN - 0005-0423
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1988.tb14291.x
Subject(s) - toxicity , biology , medicine
SUMMARY: Two calves given a mean of 16.1 g and 16.4 g ripe Casfanospermum australe seeds/kg body weight daily for 13 and 16 days respectively developed haemorrhagic gastroenteritis. The first calf died. The second calf had mild myocardial degeneration and necrosis and mild nephrosis at necropsy. Two calves given a mean of 16.8 g unripe C. australe seeds/kg body weight daily for 18 days remained clinically normal and had mild gastritis at necropsy. The activity of alpha‐glucosidase was reduced in the mononuclear cells of peripheral blood and in skeletal muscle. This was attributed to the presence of the indolizidine alkaloid, castanospermine, in the seeds. The toxin causing the gastroenteritis and other lesions is unknown.