Open AccessConfirmed Datura poisoning in a horse most probably due to D. ferox in contaminated tef hay : clinical communication
Author(s) -
Ruan Gerber,
T.W. Naudé,
S. Köck
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of the south african veterinary association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.535
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 2224-9435
pISSN - 1019-9128
DOI - 10.4102/jsava.v77i2.350
Subject(s) - datura stramonium , datura , tropane , scopolamine hydrobromide , atropine , mydriasis , hay , horse , tincture (heraldry) , urine , scopolamine , medicine , traditional medicine , chemistry , surgery , anesthesia , botany , biology , receptor , muscarinic acetylcholine receptor , paleontology , organic chemistry , psychiatry
Two out of a group of 23 mares exposed to tef hay contaminated with Datura ferox (and possibly D. stramonium) developed colic. The 1st animal was unresponsive to conservative treatment, underwent surgery for severe intestinal atony and had to be euthanased. The 2nd was less seriously affected, responded well to analgesics and made an uneventful recovery. This horse exhibited marked mydriasis on the first 2 days of being poisoned and showed protracted, milder mydriasis for a further 7 days. Scopolamine was chemically confirmed in urine from this horse for 3 days following the colic attack, while atropine could just be detected for 2 days. Scopolamine was also the main tropane alkaloid found in the contaminating plant material, confirming that this had most probably been a case of D. ferox poisoning. Although Datura intoxication of horses from contaminated hay was suspected previously, this is the 1st case where the intoxication could be confirmed by urine analysis for tropane alkaloids. Extraction and detection methods for atropine and scopolamine in urine are described employing enzymatic hydrolysis followed by liquid-liquid extraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS).