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Veterinary Record Open 2020There is extensive literature on animal poisoning from plants and mushrooms worldwide; however, there is limited account of poisoning from South Africa.
BACKGROUND
There is extensive literature on animal poisoning from plants and mushrooms worldwide; however, there is limited account of poisoning from South Africa.
METHODS
This study sought to describe and provide an overview of animal poison exposures in South Africa. Poisoning episodes reported to the Poisons Information Helpline of the Western Cape, jointly run by the Poisons Information Centres at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and Tygerberg Hospital over a period of approximately 2.5 years, from June 2015 to November 2017, were analysed to identify exposure patterns, severity and clinical outcomes.
RESULTS
Alien plant species accounted for most cases (n=10) of reported poison exposures. Among the 26 recorded animal poisoning episodes, the dog was the most commonly implicated species (n=24), whereas just two enquiries were related to other animals (one rabbit and one cow). There were 20 plant cases and 6 mushroom cases (all dogs). There was only one fatal case involving cycad in a dog.
CONCLUSION
Features of animal poisoning in South Africa were similar to those in other countries. The reported cases of animals exposed to poisonous plants and mushrooms could represent only a fraction of the actual exposures. Since most reported cases involved taxa that could not be identified to species level, more attention should be paid in case reporting and in animal poisoning prevention, engaging the public to enable people to recognise potentially hazardous plants and reduce the risk of poisoning in animals.
PubMed: 33262890
DOI: 10.1136/vetreco-2020-000402 -
Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine Sep 2014Black henbane (BH) or Hyoscyamus niger, has been used as a medicine since last centuries and has been described in all traditional medicines. It applies as a herbal... (Review)
Review
Black henbane (BH) or Hyoscyamus niger, has been used as a medicine since last centuries and has been described in all traditional medicines. It applies as a herbal medicine, but may induce intoxication accidentally or intentionally. All part of BH including leaves, seeds and roots contain some alkaloids such as Hyoscyamine, Atropine, Tropane and Scopolamine. BH has pharmacological effects like bronchodilating, antisecretory, urinary bladder relaxant, spasmolytic, hypnotic, hallucinogenic, pupil dilating, sedative and anti-diarrheal properties. Clinical manifestations of acute BH poisoning are very wide which include mydriasis, tachycardia, arrhythmia, agitation, convulsion and coma, dry mouth, thirst, slurred speech, difficulty speaking, dysphagia, warm flushed skin, pyrexia, nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision and photophobia, urinary retention, distension of the bladder, drowsiness, hyper reflexia, auditory, visual or tactile hallucinations, confusion, disorientation, delirium, aggressiveness, and combative behavior. The main treatment of BH intoxicated patients is supportive therapies including gastric emptying (not by Ipecac), administration of activated charcoal and benzodiazepines. Health care providers and physicians particularly emergency physicians and clinical toxicologists should know the nature, medical uses, clinical features, diagnosis and management of BH poisoning.
PubMed: 25386392
DOI: No ID Found -
Cureus Oct 2022Datura, a wild-growing annual plant, common in the American Southwest and the Caribbean, has many uses, including medicinal or pharmaceutical, ornamental, religious, and...
Datura, a wild-growing annual plant, common in the American Southwest and the Caribbean, has many uses, including medicinal or pharmaceutical, ornamental, religious, and social. In the Caribbean, this white trumpet-shaped flower has been used for many cultural aspects and has also been found to be used as a potent psychological stimulant. Despite its many purposes, its inappropriate misuse can result in mild-to-severe toxicity, leading to severe anticholinergic effects and even death in some cases. The purpose of this report is to highlight the toxic effects of this plant when misused and the subsequent management as it relates to the spectrum of anticholinergic poisoning, a common complication of drug overdose. We describe a case of datura poisoning presenting in Trinidad, West Indies, which was not described previously in the literature.
PubMed: 36337813
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.29829 -
International Journal of General... 2020is a tropical plant used as a herbal medicine in various parts of the world, including Thailand. In glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)-deficient patients, acute...
BACKGROUND
is a tropical plant used as a herbal medicine in various parts of the world, including Thailand. In glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)-deficient patients, acute hemolysis has been reported following the ingestion of this plant. Methemoglobinemia was reported in the present study.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Descriptive data of patients who suffered from toxicity reported from different hospitals to the Ramathibodi Poison Center were retrieved from 2011 to 2019.
RESULTS
Eight patients were included, mostly male with a median age of 61.5 years. The plant was ground for fresh juice or boiled before consuming as herbal medicine. All patients presented with dark urine. Most had jaundice and fever, and all reported hemolysis. Seven out of eight patients were diagnosed as methemoglobinemia. Methemoglobin level was confirmed in five patients with the highest level of 23.9%. Early symptoms occurred within 24 hours of the last ingested dose.
DISCUSSION
In previous case reports of ingestion, acute hemolysis was mostly observed in G6PD-deficient patients, consistent with the current findings. However, our patients also demonstrated methemoglobinemia, with some constituents in this plant (quinine, 2-methyl anthraquinone and tectoquinone) implicated as the cause in previous studies. Further studies are crucial to validate these findings.
CONCLUSION
We report a case series in which acute hemolysis and methemoglobinemia after ingestion were observed. This study presents methemoglobinemia as the other toxicity caused by this plant.
PubMed: 32943907
DOI: 10.2147/IJGM.S263199 -
China CDC Weekly Apr 2021belongs to the Fabaceae family and is widely distributed in the southern China. It is toxic for the rotenone contained in its roots and seeds, and ingesting its seeds...
belongs to the Fabaceae family and is widely distributed in the southern China. It is toxic for the rotenone contained in its roots and seeds, and ingesting its seeds could result in poisoning. In December, 2020, a poisoning from plant seeds occurred in Chongqing Municipality. The etiological association was confirmed based on epidemiological investigation, clinical manifestation, plant species identification, and rotenone analysis. The patient rapidly developed central nervous and respiratory depression with metabolic acidosis. The plant was identified as , and toxin analysis indicated that the rotenone content contained in the seeds was high enough to cause intoxication. poisoning is rare but could be fatal. Efforts should be made to educate and communicate with the public, doctors, and public health practitioners that the toxic effects the seeds could be life-threating when swallowed, both accidentally or intentionally.
PubMed: 34594869
DOI: 10.46234/ccdcw2021.075 -
Journal of the American College of... Apr 2021In the absence of a definitive cure, herbal medications are gaining increasing popularity in the general public for treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
In the absence of a definitive cure, herbal medications are gaining increasing popularity in the general public for treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although many herbal preparations are safe and can be used without complication, serious toxicities do occur. This article focuses on the major characteristics and toxicities of herbal preparations that have been proposed as treatments for COVID-19.
METHODS
A review was performed focusing on herbal preparations that have gained popularity as potential treatments for COVID-19. Some of these preparations have been directly recommended by government agencies, whereas others have gained popularity through various other news sources.
RESULTS
The herbal preparations covered in this paper include the cardiac glycoside oleandrin, plants of the genus, and herbs commonly used in traditional Chinese Medicine including plants of the genus, bitter apricot seeds, ephedra, and licorice root.
CONCLUSION
Although herbal preparations have been reported to aid in the treatment of COVID-19 with success, few clinical trials have been performed to evaluate their efficacy and instead rely mainly on studies and anecdotal reports. Furthermore, many of the herbal preparations suggested carry significant toxicities, and frontline healthcare workers should be aware of the common symptoms and toxidromes that result from these poisonings.
PubMed: 33817690
DOI: 10.1002/emp2.12411 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2021The is a group of indigenous peoples living in the interior highlands of Panay Island in Western Visayas, Philippines. Little is known about their ethnobotanical...
The is a group of indigenous peoples living in the interior highlands of Panay Island in Western Visayas, Philippines. Little is known about their ethnobotanical knowledge due to limited written records, and no recent research has been conducted on the medicinal plants they used in ethnomedicine. This study aims to document the medicinal plants used by the indigenous in Lambunao, Iloilo, Panay Island. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 75 key informants from June 2020 to September 2021 to determine the therapeutic use of medicinal plants in traditional medicine. A total of 131 medicinal plant species distributed in 121 genera and 57 families were used to address 91 diseases in 16 different uses or disease categories. The family Fabaceae was best represented with 13 species, followed by Lamiaceae with nine species and Poaceae with eight species. The leaf was the most frequently used plant part and decoction was the most preferred form of preparation. To evaluate the plant importance, use value (UV), relative frequency citation (RFC), relative important index (RI), informant consensus factor (ICF), and fidelity level (FL) were used. L. had the highest UV (0.79), L. had the highest RFC value (0.57), and L. had the highest RI value (0.88). Diseases and symptoms or signs involving the respiratory system and injury, poisoning, and certain other consequences of external causes recorded the highest ICF value (0.80). (L.) DC. and (L.) R.M. King & H. Rob were the most relevant and agreed species for the former and latter disease categories, respectively. had the highest FL value (100%) and was the most preferred medicinal plant used for cuts and wounds. The results of this study serve as a medium for preserving cultural heritage, ethnopharmacological bases for further drug research and discovery, and preserving biological diversity.
PubMed: 35082673
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.790567 -
Neurologia (Barcelona, Spain) 2014Cycads are ornamental plants that in some parts of the world are used as fresh food or raw material for producing flour with a high nutritional value. However, they also... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Cycads are ornamental plants that in some parts of the world are used as fresh food or raw material for producing flour with a high nutritional value. However, they also contain active compounds, including methylazoxymethanol, β-methylamino-L-alanine, β-alanine-L-oxalylamino and cycasin, which may produce neurotoxic effects. Some studies have associated consuming cycads and their derivatives with neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Parkinsonism dementia complex, and other diseases characterised by motor impairment. Therefore, we must not forget that any product, no matter how natural, may present health risks or benefits depending on the chemical compounds it contains and the susceptibility of those who consume it.
DEVELOPMENT
We completed a literature analysis to evaluate the neurotoxic properties of cycads and their association with neurological diseases in order to provide structured scientific information that may contribute to preventing health problems in people who use these plants.
CONCLUSION
Cycads contain neurotoxic compounds that may contribute to the development of neurological diseases when ingested improperly. We must be mindful of the fact that while some plants have a high nutritional value and may fill the food gap for vulnerable populations, they can also be toxic and have a negative impact on health.
Topics: Amino Acids, Diamino; Animals; Cyanobacteria Toxins; Cycas; Cycasin; Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; Guam; Humans; Methylazoxymethanol Acetate; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Neurotoxins; Plant Poisoning
PubMed: 23725821
DOI: 10.1016/j.nrl.2013.03.005 -
Toxins Jan 2024Feed-, food-, water- and plant-related toxins are a major threat for animal and human health worldwide [...].
Feed-, food-, water- and plant-related toxins are a major threat for animal and human health worldwide [...].
Topics: Animals; Humans; Animals, Domestic; Food; Toxins, Biological; Water
PubMed: 38251255
DOI: 10.3390/toxins16010039 -
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Apr 2015The objective of this review was to collect available data on the following: (i) adverse effects observed in humans from the intake of plant food supplements or... (Review)
Review
AIMS
The objective of this review was to collect available data on the following: (i) adverse effects observed in humans from the intake of plant food supplements or botanical preparations; (ii) the misidentification of poisonous plants; and (iii) interactions between plant food supplements/botanicals and conventional drugs or nutrients.
METHODS
PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase were searched from database inception to June 2014, using the terms 'adverse effect/s', 'poisoning/s', 'plant food supplement/s', 'misidentification/s' and 'interaction/s' in combination with the relevant plant name. All papers were critically evaluated according to the World Health Organization Guidelines for causality assessment.
RESULTS
Data were obtained for 66 plants that are common ingredients of plant food supplements; of the 492 papers selected, 402 (81.7%) dealt with adverse effects directly associated with the botanical and 89 (18.1%) concerned interactions with conventional drugs. Only one case was associated with misidentification. Adverse effects were reported for 39 of the 66 botanical substances searched. Of the total references, 86.6% were associated with 14 plants, including Glycine max/soybean (19.3%), Glycyrrhiza glabra/liquorice (12.2%), Camellia sinensis/green tea ( 8.7%) and Ginkgo biloba/gingko (8.5%).
CONCLUSIONS
Considering the length of time examined and the number of plants included in the review, it is remarkable that: (i) the adverse effects due to botanical ingredients were relatively infrequent, if assessed for causality; and (ii) the number of severe clinical reactions was very limited, but some fatal cases have been described. Data presented in this review were assessed for quality in order to make the results maximally useful for clinicians in identifying or excluding deleterious effects of botanicals.
Topics: Dietary Supplements; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Food-Drug Interactions; Humans; Plant Preparations; Plants, Medicinal
PubMed: 25251944
DOI: 10.1111/bcp.12519