gamma-coniceine and Plant-Poisoning

Topics: Adult; Alkaloids; Child, Preschool; Fatal Outcome; Gastrointestinal Contents; Hemlock; Humans; Male; Plant Leaves; Plant Poisoning; Plants, Toxic; Pyridines; Victoria

Topics: Alkaloids; Child, Preschool; Hemlock; Humans; Male; Piperidines; Plant Poisoning; Plants, Toxic; Pyridines

Three piperidine alkaloid containing plants, Conium maculatum (poison-hemlock), Nicotiana glauca (tree tobacco) and Lupinus formosus (lunara lupine), induced multiple congenital contractures (MCC) and palatoschisis in goat kids when their dams were gavaged with the plant during gestation days 30-60. The skeletal abnormalities included fixed extension or flexure of the carpal, tarsal, and fetlock joints, scoliosis, lordosis, torticollis and rib cage abnormalities. Clinical signs of toxicity included those reported in sheep, cattle and pigs--ataxia, incoordination, muscular weakness, prostration and death. One quinolizidine alkaloid containing plant, Lupinus caudatus (tailcup lupine), on the other hand, which is also known to cause MCC in cows, caused only slight signs of toxicity in pregnant goats and no teratogenic effects in their offspring.

Topics: Abnormalities, Multiple; Alkaloids; Anabasine; Animals; Bone and Bones; Cleft Palate; Female; Goat Diseases; Goats; Nicotiana; Piperidines; Plant Extracts; Plant Poisoning; Plants, Toxic; Pregnancy; Pyridines; Teratogens

Cleft palates were induced in newborn pigs of gilts fed Conium maculatum seed or plant during gestation days 30 through 45. Twelve of 23 newborn pigs born to 3 gilts given Utah-grown C maculatum seed and 9 of 12 newborn pigs born to a single gilt given the fresh Utah spring-growth C maculatum plant had cleft palates. The cleft palates ranged from a unilateral cleft, involving only 1 side of the palate, to a full bilateral cleft. Brachygnathia was also observed in some of these newborn pigs with cleft palate. Other malformations were not observed. Chemical analysis of seed and plant samples indicated that gamma-coniceine was the responsible teratogenic alkaloid. A daily dose of plant or seed that provided greater than or equal to 1.07 mg of gamma-coniceine/kg of body weight fed to gilts during the 30th through the 45th day of pregnancy resulted in teratogenic effects.

Topics: Alkaloids; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Chromatography, Gas; Cleft Palate; Female; Piperidines; Plant Poisoning; Plants, Toxic; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Pyridines; Seeds; Swine; Swine Diseases