Investigations into the toxicity of Echium plantagineum in sheep. 2. Pen feeding experiments.
In a pen feeding trial fresh Echium plantagineum was fed as the sole diet to crossbred sheep with or without a history of previous access to the plant. Control groups received a diet of lucerne chaff and oats. During the trial, sheep on the Echium diet lost weight and deaths occurred with histological evidence of excessive copper accumulation, usually accompanied by pyrrolizidine alkaloid damage, in the liver and biochemical evidence of liver toxicity. It is concluded that E. plantagineum alone is not a suitable fodder for sheep and can be toxic due to its pyrrolizidine alkaloid content and high copper to molybdenum ratio.
Seaman
J T
JT
New South Wales Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Agricultural Research and Veterinary Centre, Orange.
Dixon
R J
RJ
D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001835:Body Weight; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism / Q000506:poisoning; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D009753:Nutritive Value; D010939:Plant Poisoning / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010947:Plants, Toxic / Q000032:analysis; D011763:Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids / Q000506:poisoning*; D012621:Seasons; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
D011763:Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids; D003300:Copper; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases