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Hong Kong Medical Journal = Xianggang... Apr 2019Hong Kong has a great diversity of plants, many of which are toxic to humans. The aim of this study was to identify the plant species most commonly involved in cases of...
INTRODUCTION
Hong Kong has a great diversity of plants, many of which are toxic to humans. The aim of this study was to identify the plant species most commonly involved in cases of plant poisoning in Hong Kong and to provide clinicians with a reference tool for the diagnosis and management of plant poisoning.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed all plant poisoning cases referred to the Hospital Authority Toxicology Reference Laboratory from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2017. Demographics, clinical presentation, laboratory findings, treatment and outcomes of patients, as well as morphological identification and analytical testing of the plant specimens, were investigated.
RESULTS
A total of 62 cases involving 26 poisonous plant species were identified, among which (Giant Alocasia), (Graceful Jessamine), and (Azalea) species were the three most commonly encountered. Gastrointestinal toxicity (n=30, 48%), neurological toxicity (n=22, 35%), and hepatotoxicity (n=6, 10%) were the three most common clinical problems. Forty-nine (79%) and eight (13%) patients had mild and moderate toxicity, respectively; they all recovered shortly with supportive treatment. The remaining five (8%) patients experienced severe toxicity requiring intensive care support. Most patients (n=61, 98%) used the plants intentionally: as a medicinal herb (n=31), as food (n=29), and for attempting suicide (n=1). Reasons for using the poisonous plants included misidentification (n=34, 55%), unawareness of the toxicity (n=20, 32%), and contamination (n=6, 10%).
CONCLUSIONS
Although most plant exposure resulted in a self-limiting disease, severe poisonings were encountered. Epidemiology of plant poisonings is geographically specific. Clinicians should be aware of local poisonous plants and their toxicities.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Hong Kong; Humans; Infant; Male; Middle Aged; Plant Poisoning; Plant Preparations; Plants, Toxic; Retrospective Studies; Young Adult
PubMed: 30967518
DOI: 10.12809/hkmj187745 -
Anais Da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias 2021It is well known that several of the swainsonine-containing plant species found widespread around the world have a negative economic impact in each country. In... (Review)
Review
It is well known that several of the swainsonine-containing plant species found widespread around the world have a negative economic impact in each country. In Argentina, most of the information on the poisonous plant species that produce α-mannosidosis is published in Spanish and thus not available to most English-speaking researchers interested in toxic plants. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize the information about swainsonine-containing plants in Argentina, which are extensively distributed throughout different ecoregions of the country. To date, five species from three genera have been shown to induce α-mannosidosis in livestock in Argentina: Ipomoea carnea subsp. fistulosa, Ipomoea hieronymi subsp. calchaquina (Convolvulaceae), Astragalus garbancillo, Astragalus pehuenches (Fabaceae), and Sida rodrigoi (Malvaceae). These species contain the indolizidine alkaloid swainsonine, which inhibits the lysosomal enzyme α-mannosidase and consequently affects glycoprotein metabolism, resulting in partially metabolized sugars. The prolonged consumption of these poisonous plants produces progressive weight loss and clinical signs related to a nervous disorder, characterized by tremors of head and neck, abnormalities of gait, difficulty in standing, ataxia and wide-based stance. Histological lesions are mainly characterized by vacuolation of different cells, especially neurons of the central nervous system. The main animal model used to study α-mannosidosis is the guinea pig because, when experimentally poisoned, it exhibits many of the characteristics of naturally intoxicated livestock.
Topics: Animals; Argentina; Guinea Pigs; Plant Poisoning; Plants, Toxic; Ruminants; alpha-Mannosidosis
PubMed: 34787167
DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202120191496 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Jan 2019The industrial and technological advancements in the world have also contributed to the rapid deterioration in the environment quality through introduction of obnoxious... (Review)
Review
The industrial and technological advancements in the world have also contributed to the rapid deterioration in the environment quality through introduction of obnoxious pollutants that threaten to destroy the subtle balance in the ecosystem. The environment contaminants cause severe adverse effects to humans, flora and fauna that are mostly irreversible. Chief among these toxicants is arsenic, a metalloid, which is considered among the most dangerous environmental toxins that leads to various diseases which affect the quality of life even when present in small quantities. Treatment of arsenic-mediated disorders still remains a challenge due to lack of effective options. Chelation therapy has been the most widely used method to detoxify arsenic. But this method is associated with deleterious effects leading various toxicities such as hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity and other adverse effects. It has been discovered that indigenous drugs of plant origin display effective and progressive relief from arsenic-mediated toxicity without any side-effects. Further, these phytochemicals have also been found to aid the elimination of arsenic from the biological system and therefore can be more effective than conventional therapeutic agents in ameliorating arsenic-mediated toxicity. This review presents an overview of the toxic effects of arsenic and the therapeutic strategies that are available to mitigate the toxic effects with emphasis on chelation as well as protective and detoxifying activities of different phytochemicals and herbal drugs against arsenic. This information may serve as a primer in identifying novel prophylactic as well as therapeutic formulations against arsenic-induced toxicity.
Topics: Animals; Arsenic; Arsenic Poisoning; Biological Products; Chelating Agents; Environmental Pollutants; Humans; Phytochemicals; Plant Extracts; Plant Preparations; Reactive Oxygen Species
PubMed: 30551538
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.10.099 -
Journal of Ethnopharmacology Jan 2021Plants from the family Ericaceae, and in particular those in the genus Rhododendron are frequently reported to contain grayanotoxins. Plant products such as honey and... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE
Plants from the family Ericaceae, and in particular those in the genus Rhododendron are frequently reported to contain grayanotoxins. Plant products such as honey and herbal medicines made from these plants occasionally contain grayanotoxins, and in turn may lead to intoxication. The balance between the benefits and risk of poisoning from Rhododendrons is of concerns. This study explores the ethnobotanical knowledge of the people in Yunnan, China as regards the consumption of Rhododendron flowers, and gives special focus to their assessment of the benefit-risk balance.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
An ethnobotanical survey was conducted across 14 county-level local markets in north and central Yunnan province, during which a total of 82 stalls selling Rhododendron flowers were visited and 204 people were interviewed. Voucher specimens were obtained under the guidance of collectors, and details about local practices and knowledge were recorded using semi-structured interviews and participatory observations.
RESULTS
The consumption of the corollas of Rhododendron decorum Franch. Flowers (RDf) or Rhododendron pachypodum Balf. f. & W.W. Sm. Flowers (RPf) as a seasonal delicacy is a long-standing tradition in the study area. RDf are widely consumed in northwest and northeast Yunnan, while RPf are more prevalent in the central regions of Yunnan, and there is a high consistency in the knowledge of the process for detoxification or palatability for each species. The main reasons for eating the flowers were listed as health benefits (mostly clear heat), wild collected, tradition and good flavor. All RPf consumers stated that the corolla from this species is not toxic, while 67.4% of the RDf consumers claim that the corolla from RDf is toxic. We compared the two species and analyzed their process intensities, poisoning cases and cautions, market trade forms and existing toxicity studies, which agreed well and consistently that the corolla of RDf deserve more toxicity attention than RPf.
CONCLUSION
Our study provides a window to look into the ways, beyond honey and herbal medicine, by which Rhododendron species have influenced human wellbeing. The local culture can justify eating Rhododendron flowers, and meanwhile, has developed a series of skills to avoid the side effects of eating them, and therefore the study also provides a good case to answer more general questions about the rationality of eating any plant products by assessing the trade-off between benefits and side effects.
Topics: Adult; Aged; China; Ethnobotany; Ethnopharmacology; Female; Flowers; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Plant Poisoning; Plant Preparations; Rhododendron; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
PubMed: 32861820
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113320 -
Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic... May 2018Farmers in the State of Piauí in northeastern Brazil reported nervous signs in ruminants and donkeys after ingestion of Brunfelsia uniflora at the start of the rainy... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Farmers in the State of Piauí in northeastern Brazil reported nervous signs in ruminants and donkeys after ingestion of Brunfelsia uniflora at the start of the rainy season when the plant is flowering. Leaves of the plant, collected at the start or at the end of the rainy season, were administered in single doses of 5-20 g/kg body weight to 8 sheep and 3 donkeys. Two sheep and 1 donkey that ingested 10 g/kg of the plant in November at the start of the rainy season, when the plant was flowering, developed severe convulsions and diarrhea. One sheep was euthanized and autopsied, and no significant lesions were found. The other sheep and the donkey recovered. Four sheep and one donkey that ingested 10 or 20 g/kg of leaves collected in April, at the end of the rainy season, did not show clinical signs. One donkey that ingested 5 g/kg of leaves collected in November developed diarrhea and recovered. These results demonstrate the toxicity of B. uniflora for livestock and suggest that the plant is toxic at these doses only during the start of the rainy season.
Topics: Animals; Brazil; Equidae; Horse Diseases; Horses; Male; Plant Leaves; Plant Poisoning; Seasons; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Solanaceae
PubMed: 29405901
DOI: 10.1177/1040638718757581 -
Revue Neurologique Dec 2019The consumption by humans of plants with potential to induce neurological disorders is widespread, but overt disease surfaces only when the subject's toxic threshold is... (Review)
Review
The consumption by humans of plants with potential to induce neurological disorders is widespread, but overt disease surfaces only when the subject's toxic threshold is exceeded. Excessive intake arising from food dependency in the setting of hunger, chronic undernutrition, vitamin deficiency, inadequate detoxication, or other individual susceptibility, can trigger acute encephalopathy (lychee, ackee fruits), sub-acute spastic paraparesis (grasspea, cassava root/leaves) or ataxic neuropathy (cassava root flour). While these disorders are very rarely encountered in high-income countries, they are not only common among impoverished populations but also often occur as outbreaks that impact a significant proportion of an affected community. Unfamiliarity with the adverse effects of plant toxins has sometimes led to the mistaken attribution of nutritional neurotoxic disease to a neurotropic viral or synthetic pesticidal etiology. The combination of human population growth, food and water insecurity, poverty and, with climate change, increased dependency on environmentally tolerant plants with neurotoxic potential, predictably may result in an increased prevalence of nutritional neurotoxic disorders, especially in certain parts of Africa and Asia.
Topics: Blighia; Disease Susceptibility; Humans; Litchi; Malnutrition; Manihot; Nervous System Diseases; Neurotoxicity Syndromes; Plant Poisoning; Plants; Poverty Areas
PubMed: 31542178
DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2019.07.015 -
Toxins Jun 2023is a genus of about 140 plant species, some of which are well-known for causing animal poisoning resulting in significant economic losses to the Australian livestock... (Review)
Review
is a genus of about 140 plant species, some of which are well-known for causing animal poisoning resulting in significant economic losses to the Australian livestock industry. The main poisonous species/subspecies include (subsp. and subsp. ), and (generally referred to as ). These plants contain a diterpenoid orthoester toxin, called simplexin. poisoning is known to cause the death of cattle ( and ) or weaken surviving animals. species are well-adapted native plants, and their diaspores (single seeded fruits) possess variable degrees of dormancy. Hence, the diaspores do not generally germinate in the same recruitment event, which makes management difficult, necessitating the development of integrated management strategies based on infestation circumstances (e.g., size and density). For example, the integration of herbicides with physical control techniques, competitive pasture establishment and tactical grazing could be effective in some situations. However, such options have not been widely adopted at the field level to mitigate ongoing management challenges. This systematic review provides a valuable synthesis of the current knowledge on the biology, ecology, and management of poisonous species with a focus on the Australian livestock industry while identifying potential avenues for future research.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Plants, Toxic; Australia; Livestock; Diterpenes; Plant Poisoning; Thymelaeaceae
PubMed: 37368675
DOI: 10.3390/toxins15060374 -
Toxicon : Official Journal of the... Apr 2021This study aimed to describe the first reports of outbreaks of hepatogenous photosensitization in cattle, sheep, and horses caused by spontaneous ingestion of...
This study aimed to describe the first reports of outbreaks of hepatogenous photosensitization in cattle, sheep, and horses caused by spontaneous ingestion of Chamaecrista serpens, as well as to reproduce poisoning in sheep experimentally. Eleven photodermatitis outbreaks of unknown cause occurred in cattle, sheep and horses on nine farms in the semiarid region of Bahia, northeastern Brazil, between July 2017 and July 2020. Cutaneous lesions of photosensitization initiated until one week after the animals were introduced in paddocks invaded by the plant at the beginning of the rainy season. The photosensitive skin lesions were progressive and consisted of hyperemia, edema, ulcerative-crusted lesions with necrosis, especially in non-pigmented skin areas. The lesions in young animals were more severe. The animals avoided the sun and exhibited hyporexia, weight loss, restlessness, irritability, and severe itching. An experimental study was made using seven sheep, and resulted in photodermatitis, similar to that observed in the natural poisoning, seven days after the beginning of plant ingestion. Two sheep were reserved for the control group. Serum biochemistry changes indicated liver injury caused by the plant. Skin biopsies and liver biopsy guided by ultrasound were performed. The one sheep that had more pronounced skin lesions was euthanized and necropsied. At the necropsy, the liver was enlarged, diffusely pale, and firm, with an evident lobular pattern and an empty gallbladder. Histopathology revealed similar skin and liver lesions in samples from biopsies and the necropsy. There was a marked disorganization of the cords of hepatocytes associated with degenerative necrotic changes on the liver. The cutaneous injuries included orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis, hypergranulosis, acanthosis, and extensive areas of epidermic necrosis and ulceration. Three sheep were protected from sunlight and the lesions regressed within 45 days after the plant's consumption ceased. In conclusion, C. serpens causes hepatogenous photosensitization in ruminants and horses, and should be included in the list of differential diagnoses in cases of photosensitive dermatitis.
Topics: Animals; Brazil; Cattle; Chamaecrista; Eating; Horses; Photosensitivity Disorders; Plant Poisoning; Ruminants; Sheep; Sheep Diseases
PubMed: 33516858
DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2021.01.013 -
Equine Veterinary Journal Mar 2018Trema micrantha is a tree widely distributed throughout the Americas. The tree produces highly palatable leaves that have been associated with natural poisoning in...
BACKGROUND
Trema micrantha is a tree widely distributed throughout the Americas. The tree produces highly palatable leaves that have been associated with natural poisoning in goats, sheep and horses, in which hepatic necrosis and hepatic encephalopathy have been observed.
OBJECTIVES
This study describes malacia and haemorrhage in the central nervous system (CNS) due to T. micrantha consumption, with minimal to absent hepatic lesions.
STUDY DESIGN
Retrospective case series.
METHODS
A total of 14 horses with a history of neurological signs and spontaneous consumption of T. micrantha leaves were submitted to necropsy and multiple samples were collected for histopathology. Details of clinical history and signs of the horses were obtained through inquiries to the owners and attending veterinarians.
RESULTS
All the 14 horses had neurological signs of ataxia, severe sialorrhoea, involuntary running movements, sternal and lateral recumbency, and death after a clinical course that lasted from 24 h to 9 days. For a few days prior to onset of clinical signs, all horses had spontaneously consumed, potentially toxic doses of T. micrantha leaves. All 14 brains had diffuse yellowish discoloration affecting the rhombencephalon, mesencephalon, diencephalon, telencephalon and corpus striatum. In all cases, the most severe lesions were observed in the pons. Spinal cord lesions were observed affecting the lumbar intumescence, which was swollen with darken and depressed areas at the dorsal and ventral horns, and at the sacral level, which on cut surface displayed a friable and yellowish grey matter. The lesions observed grossly in brain and spinal cord consisted microscopically of severe vasculitis and liquefactive necrosis of white and grey matter of the brainstem, cerebellum and spinal cord.
MAIN LIMITATIONS
This is a small retrospective series relying on clinical observations reported by owners and attending veterinarians. The mechanism of action of the plant toxin in the CNS is still unidentified.
CONCLUSION
T. micrantha poisoning in horses causes predominantly a neurological disease, with minimal to absent hepatic lesions.
Topics: Animals; Central Nervous System Diseases; Horse Diseases; Horses; Plant Poisoning; Plants, Toxic; Retrospective Studies; Trema
PubMed: 28805273
DOI: 10.1111/evj.12741 -
Annals of the New York Academy of... Aug 2014Poisons have long been used to kill wildlife throughout the world. An evolution has occurred from the use of plant- and animal-based toxins to synthetic pesticides to... (Review)
Review
Poisons have long been used to kill wildlife throughout the world. An evolution has occurred from the use of plant- and animal-based toxins to synthetic pesticides to kill wildlife, a method that is silent, cheap, easy, and effective. The use of pesticides to poison wildlife began in southern Africa, and predator populations were widely targeted and eliminated. A steep increase has recently been observed in the intensity of wildlife poisonings, with corresponding population declines. However, the majority of poisonings go unreported. Under national laws, it is illegal to hunt wildlife using poisons in 83% of African countries. Pesticide regulations are inadequate, and enforcement of existing legislation is poor. Few countries have forensic field protocols, and most lack storage and testing facilities. Methods used to poison wildlife include baiting carcasses, soaking grains in pesticide solution, mixing pesticides to form salt licks, and tainting waterholes. Carbofuran is the most widely abused pesticide in Africa. Common reasons for poisoning are control of damage-causing animals, harvesting fish and bushmeat, harvesting animals for traditional medicine, poaching for wildlife products, and killing wildlife sentinels (e.g., vultures because their aerial circling alerts authorities to poachers' activities). Populations of scavengers, particularly vultures, have been decimated by poisoning. Recommendations include banning pesticides, improving pesticide regulations and controlling distribution, better enforcement and stiffer penalties for offenders, increasing international support and awareness, and developing regional pesticide centers.
Topics: Africa; Animals; Animals, Wild; Conservation of Natural Resources; History, 20th Century; Pesticides; Poisons
PubMed: 24716788
DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12405