The knowledge base of poisonous plants in Ghana together with an experimental test of plant toxicity and an investigation of the potential of DNA for forensic analysis of poisoning was studied in this thesis. A ethnobotanical survey to determine the mowledge base of poisonous plants (including their symptoms, poisoning and mtidotes) was undertaken by questioning 90 livestock holders (livestock farmers, Veterinary/extension staff and herbahsts) throughout Ghana. 50 species from 29 different plant famihes were identified as poisonous, or as antidotes., together with an additional 20 unidentified plants were shown (or given) to the author and subsequently identified to species if possible.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Aberdeen University, 2009. / Title from web page (viewed on June 26, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

This item was digitized as part of the Million Books Project led by Carnegie Mellon University and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Cornell University coordinated the participation of land-grant and agricultural libraries in providing historical agricultural information for the digitization project; the University of Arizona Libraries, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Office of Arid Lands Studies collaborated in the selection and provision of material for the digitization project.

The pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and ergot alkaloids are known natural toxicants found in livestock forage. These alkaloids contribute to large economic losses in livestock throughout the world. An understanding of the mechanisms of toxicity and development of better diagnostic tools for better management practices was investigated. Variability exists in the toxicity of PAs in ruminants where cattle are more susceptible and sheep are more resistant. The mechanism of PA resistance in sheep has been attributed to hepatic metabolism or rumen microbial degradation of PAs to non-toxic moieties. The hepatic metabolism of the PA senecionine was investigated in cattle and sheep liver microsomes. The level of a toxic pyrrole metabolite 6,7-dihydro-7-hydroxy-1-hydroxymethyl-5H-pyrrolizine pyrrole (DHP) formed in cattle and sheep were similar. However, the level of a non-toxic N-oxide metabolite was greater in sheep than in cattle. Cytochrome P450 and flavin monooxygenases (FMOs) responsible for PA oxidative metabolism were similar in both ruminant species. Therefore, hepatic metabolism of PAs is not solely responsible for resistance observed in sheep versus cattle. Ergot alkaloids present in endophyte-infected plants also cause toxicity in livestock. HPLC is the typical method used to quantify ergot alkaloid content; however, it is costly and time-consuming. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) developed with lysergol as the hapten was evaluated to ascertain its feasibility as an analytical tool for the ergot alkaloids found in forage plants. The ELISA detected the presence of lysergic acid but was not a reliable assay for the ergopeptine alkaloids such as ergovaline. The genetic divergence in mice previously selected into ergot alkaloid susceptible and resistant lines was studied after ten generations of relaxed selection. Physiologically no difference was seen between the susceptible and resistant line for average daily weight gain. However, hepatic metabolism of the ergot alkaloid ergotamine showed differences between genders and between animals on diets containing no ergot alkaloids or a high concentration of ergot alkaloids. Four major biotransformation products were identified as hydroxylated ergotamine isomers based on mass spectroscopic analysis. / Graduation date: 2003

This item was digitized as part of the Million Books Project led by Carnegie Mellon University and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Cornell University coordinated the participation of land-grant and agricultural libraries in providing historical agricultural information for the digitization project; the University of Arizona Libraries, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Office of Arid Lands Studies collaborated in the selection and provision of material for the digitization project.

This item was digitized as part of the Million Books Project led by Carnegie Mellon University and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Cornell University coordinated the participation of land-grant and agricultural libraries in providing historical agricultural information for the digitization project; the University of Arizona Libraries, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Office of Arid Lands Studies collaborated in the selection and provision of material for the digitization project.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-08T16:24:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PGCV09MA027.pdf: 10960183 bytes, checksum: 87c32d6d2306fed90e4bb2a7d31015a4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-04-08 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A disease in sheep with seasonal occurrence, characterized by nervous manifestations and rapid death in the municipalities of Rancho Queimado and Ponte Alta do Sul, State of Santa Catarina, is describd. Some farmers related the disease to consumption of fruits from a tree known as "cocão" (Erythroxylum deciduum), the toxicity of which has been described previously. Because of the absence of mature fruits of this tree at the occurrence of outbreaks in the municipality of Rancho Queimado, experiments were performed in sheep with the leaves of the plant, that showed signs of having been consumed, buy its toxicity had not yet been demonstrated. The poisoning was reproduced experimentally in sheep by the administration of shoots from the stems and young leaves of E. deciduum at lethal doses of 10 and 15g/kg, respectively. The onset of symptoms occurred from 0 to 2 hours after administration of the leaves, and the disease had a course of 10 minutes to 18 hours. Mature leaves at doses up to 20 g/kg did not cause symptoms of poisoning. In a single experiment with the fruits, the dose of 15 g/kg was lethal. In the experiments, the clinical signs were depression and somnolence, and when the animals were moved, motor incoordination, imbalance, falls, difficulty to get up, and station with open legs. Also intense salivation, regurgitation, increased heart rate and breathing were observed. In one animal, on which an electrocardiogram was conducted, tachycardia, arrhythmia and fibrillation were recorded. The clinical signs and death were exacerbated when animals are moved. The animals that died by the spontaneous and experimental poisoning revealed no important gross lesions and microscopic changes. It could be concluded that the cut allows the regrowth of sprouts from the stems, encouraging intake of the plant by sheep. This fact and the availability of ripe fruits that fall off the tree, are responsible for this disease with nervous signs in sheep that occurs during the summer months on certain farms in the state of Santa Catarina / Descreve-se uma enfermidade em ovinos de ocorrência sazonal, caracterizada por manifestações nervosas e morte rápida, nos municípios de Rancho Queimado e Ponte Alta do Sul, no estado de Santa Catarina. Alguns produtores relacionavam a doença ao consumo de frutos de uma árvore conhecida como cocão (Erythroxylum deciduum), cuja toxidez já foi descrita anteriormente. Em virtude da ausência de frutos maduros desta árvore por ocasião da ocorrência dos surtos no município de Rancho Queimado, foram realizados experimentos em ovinos com as folhas da planta que mostraram sinais de terem sido consumidos e, cuja toxidez ainda não tinha sido demonstrada. A doença foi reproduzida experimentalmente em ovinos com a administração de brotações de troncos e com as folhas jovens de E. deciduum, com doses letais a partir de 10 e 15g/kg, respectivamente. O início da manifestação dos sintomas ocorreu entre 0 e 2 horas após a administração das folhas ou dos frutos e a evolução da doença foi de 10 minutos a 18 horas. As folhas maduras em doses de até 20 g/kg não causaram sintomas de intoxicação. Em um único experimento com os frutos a dose 15 g/kg foi letal. Nestes experimentos os sinais clínicos observados foram depressão e sonolência e, quando os animais eram movimentados, incoordenação motora, desequilíbrio, quedas, dificuldade para se levantar, estação com os membros abertos. Ainda foram observados salivação intensa, regurgitação, aumento das freqüências cardíaca e respiratória. Em um animal no qual foi realizado eletrocardiograma, foi constatado taquicardia, arritmia e fibrilação. Os sinais clínicos e a morte são agravados quando os animais são movimentados. Os animais que morreram pela intoxicação espontânea e experimental não revelaram alterações macroscópicas e microscópicas importantes. Conclui-se que o corte das árvores permite que o tronco rebrote, favorecendo a ingestão da planta pelos ovinos. Este fato e a disponibilidade de frutos maduros que caem ao chão, são responsáveis pela doença com sinais nervosos em ovinos que ocorrem nos meses de verão em certas propriedades do Estado de Santa Catarina

Perennial ryegrass (PRG, Lolium perenne) is a hardy cool-season grass that is infected with the endophytic fungus Neotyphodium lolii, which enables the plant to be insect repellant and drought resistant, lowering the use of insecticides and fertilizers. However, this fungus produces the compound lolitrem B (LB, m/z 686.4) which causes the tremorgenic neurotoxicity syndrome 'ryegrass staggers' in livestock consuming forage which contains <2000 ppb LB. Ergovaline (EV, m/z 534) is a vasoconstrictor normally associated with tall fescue (Festuca arudinacea), but has also been found in endophyte-infected PRG. Past research has shown a strong linear correlation between levels of LB and EV in PRG. The purpose of this study was to examine the linear relationship between EV and LB in feces and determine common metabolites. To accomplish this, four groups of steers (n=6/group) consumed endophyte- infected PRG over 70 days consumed the following averages of LB and EV: group I 2254ppb LB/633 ppb EV; group II 1554ppb LB/ 373ppb EV, group III 1011ppb LB/259ppb EV, and group IV 246ppb LB/<100ppb EV. Group I in week 4 was inadvertently given a washout period at which time the steers consumed the amount of LB and EV given to group IV (control). Both feed and feces samples were extracted using difference solid phase extraction methods and quantified by HPLC-fluorescence for LB and EV. Concentrations of EV and LB obtained through HPLC-fluorescence in both PRG and feces showed a linear relationship. Additional screening for metabolites was conducted LC-MS/MS and showed possible oxidation and reduction metabolites for both toxins. / Graduation date: 2013

Submitted by Sandra Pereira (srpereira@ufrrj.br) on 2018-04-11T13:17:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2010 - Bruno Leite dos Anjos.pdf: 12893665 bytes, checksum: 99b4dd0f8ecdebb1f227aa0522ac061f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-11T13:17:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2010 - Bruno Leite dos Anjos.pdf: 12893665 bytes, checksum: 99b4dd0f8ecdebb1f227aa0522ac061f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-08-17 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico, CNPq, Brasil. / Cases of diseases induced by toxic plants in domestic herbivores are well reported throughout the world and have been studied also in Brazil. However, not much is known about the epidemiological and pathological aspectos of these conditions in free-living wildlife or bred in captivity. The risk for developing the toxicoses in captivity has been increasing, since natural habitats are destroyed by human action, and more centers of wildlife conservation and zoological comes are created. This study describes the epidemiological, biological and clinicopathological, lectin-histochemical and ultrastructural aspects of an outbreak of lysosomal storage disease of oligosaccharides induced by ingestion of Sida carpinifolia in young Sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) in the Rio-Zoo Foundation in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Nine deer showed neurological signs characterized by motor and proprioceptive deficits. Then neurological signs were mainly depression, incoordination, dysmetria, ataxia, broad-based members, muscle tremors, loss of tongue tone, frequent falls and death. Grossly hematomas were observed secondary to trauma caused by dominant males of the flock, and whitish striations, especially in the renal cortex. Histologic changes included marked swelling/cytoplasmic vacuolization especially in neurons, progressing to neuronal lysis and axonal spheroids, in exocrine pancreas, thyroid follicular cells and renal tubular epithelial cells. In the lectin-histochemical examination the vacuoles were formed by the accumulation of oligosaccharides specially marked by the lectins WGA, WGA and Con-A. Ultrastructurally, the swelling/vacuolation corresponded to intense cytoplasmic distention of lysosomes, formation of residual bodies or dense granular fragments of membranes and mielinoides bodies. The study has shown the susceptibility of Cervus unicolor to swainsonine by ingestion of S. carpinifolia. Possibly poisoning the animals in this study was conducted by food restriction by the hierarchy among males in the group. It might also determine the marked similarity between clinical and pathological aspects in Sambar deer with the one presented by other herbivores. / Casos de doen?as induzidas por plantas t?xicas em herb?voros dom?sticos s?o bastante relatados por todo o mundo e v?m sendo estudados tamb?m no Brasil. Pouco se sabe, contudo, sobre os aspectos epidemiol?gicos e patol?gicos dessas condi??es em animais selvagens de vida livre ou criados em cativeiro. Os riscos de desenvolvimento dessas toxicoses em cativeiros v?m aumentando, conforme os habitats naturais s?o destru?dos pela a??o humana, e mais centros de conserva??o de vida silvestre e zool?gicos s?o criados. Nesse estudo s?o descritos os aspectos epidemiol?gicos, biol?gicos e clinicopatol?gicos, lectinohistoqu?micos e ultraestruturais de um surto de doen?a do armazenamento lisossomal de oligossacar?deos induzido pela ingest?o de Sida carpinifolia em cervos Sambar jovens (Cervus unicolor) no zool?gico da Funda??o Rio-Zoo no Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Nove cervos apresentaram sinais cl?nicos neurol?gicos caracterizados por d?ficits proprioceptivo e motor. Os sinais neurol?gicos inclu?ram principalmente depress?o, incoordena??o, dismetria, ataxia, membros em base ampla, tremores musculares, perda do t?nus lingual, quedas frequentes e morte. Macroscopicamente foram observados hematomas, secund?rios a traumas provocados por machos dominantes do rebanho, e estria??es esbranqui?adas, principalmente no c?rtex renal. As les?es histol?gicas inclu?am acentuada tumefa??o/vacuoliza??o citoplasm?tica especialmente em neur?nios, p?ncreas ex?crino, c?lulas foliculares da tireoides e do epit?lio renal, necrose neuronal com evolu??o para lise e esferoides axonais. Pelo exame lectino-histoqu?mico os vac?olos eram formados por ac?mulo de oligossacar?deos marcado especialmente pelas lectinas S-WGA, WGA e Con-A. Ultraestruturalmente, a tumefa??o/vacuoliza??o citoplasm?tica correspondeu ? intensa distens?o de lisossomos, forma??o de corpos residuais densos ou granulares, fragmentos de membranas e corpos mielinoides. O estudo demonstrou a suscetibilidade de Cervus unicolor ? swainsonina contida na S. carpinifolia. Possivelmente, a intoxica??o nos animais deste estudo ocorreu pela restri??o alimentar sofrida pelos animais mais jovens, decorrente da hierarquia entre machos no grupo. P?de-se determinar ainda a marcada similaridade do quadro cl?nico e patol?gico entre os cervos descritos nesse trabalho e outros herb?voros dom?sticos.