Effects of dietary supplementation with ethoxyquin, magnesium oxide, methionine hydroxy analog, and B vitamins on tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) toxicosis in beef cattle.
Dried tansy ragwort containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids was fed as 2.5% of a complete (control) diet to Hereford steers, with and without (basal) a mixture of additives. The additives provided a dietary supplement equivalent to 0.1% ethoxyquin, 1% methionine hydroxy analog, 2% MgO, 2.7 mg of vitamin B6/kg of diet, 50 micrograms of vitamin B12/kg of diet, 0.45 g of folic acid/kg of diet, and 0.2 g of cobalt/kg of diet. The additives did not alter tansy ragwort toxicity substantially, as assessed by liver histologic changes, sulfobromophthalein clearance rate, and serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity. After 281 days, 1 of 4 steers fed the basal diet was alive, whereas 3 of 4 steers in the basal plus additives group were alive, suggesting some protective activity. The chronic lethal dose of tansy ragwort in steers was 3.6% of initial body weight.
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000662:veterinary*; D005015:Ethoxyquin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008277:Magnesium Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D008715:Methionine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D010939:Plant Poisoning / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000662:veterinary*; D011736:Pyridoxine / Q000494:pharmacology; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000494:pharmacology
D008277:Magnesium Oxide; D005015:Ethoxyquin; D008715:Methionine; D011736:Pyridoxine; D014805:Vitamin B 12