Negative evidence for stachydrine or Galeopsis ladanum L. seeds as the causal agents of coturnism after quail meat ingestion.
Quail poisoning is known to produce an acute myoglobinuric syndrome called coturnism. The cause of this syndrome is still unknown, although it has been postulated that Galeopsis ladanum L. seeds, in particular lipidic compounds or stachydrine, are responsible for this toxicity. Thus, we aimed to study the implication of this plant in coturnism in order to explore the physiopathology of the disease, especially with regard to stachydrine and lipidic compounds extracted from seeds. For this purpose, Wistar rats were fed with G. ladanum seed extracts or with quail meat. However, the rhabdomyolysis outbreak could not be reproduced in any case. Therefore, in view of our results and experimental conditions, seeds of G. ladanum and stachydrine do not appear to be the responsible agents of the myopathic outbreak. This conclusion is supported by the following facts: direct administration of extracts of seeds of G. ladanum or stachydrine produces no myotoxicity in rats; G. ladanum seeds are not toxic to quails and meat from quails fed G. ladanum seeds is not toxic to rats.
University of Navarra, School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, Pamplona, Spain.
Inigo
I
Uriarte-Pueyo
María
M
Goicoechea
Ana Gloria
AG
Gil
Adela
A
López de Cerain
Adolfo
A
López de Munain
María Isabel
MI
Calvo
D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D006801:Humans; D019686:Lamiaceae; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000633:toxicity*; D018908:Muscle Weakness; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000209:etiology; D009212:Myoglobinuria / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000633:toxicity; D011392:Proline / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity; D011784:Quail; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012206:Rhabdomyolysis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*
D010936:Plant Extracts; D011392:Proline; C003342:stachydrine