Detection of toxic monofluoroacetate in Palicourea species.
Numerous plant species worldwide including some Palicourea (Rubiaceae), Tanaecium (Bignoniaceae), and Amorimia (Malpighiaceae) species in Brazil cause sudden death and are known to contain monofluoroacetate (MFA). Two species of Palicourea, Palicourea aenofusca and Palicourea marcgravii, cause sudden death and are reported to contain MFA while other Palicourea species are reported to cause sudden death in livestock and are suspected to contain MFA due to the similarity in clinical signs. Using an HPLC-APCI-MS method to detect MFA, herbarium specimens representing 46 Palicourea taxa were screened for the presence of MFA. Additionally we screened five Psychotria taxa that are closely related to Palicourea species. Ten species of Palicourea were identified that contained MFA, two previously reported and eight newly reported here; these are closely related to each other, though some other related species did not contain MFA.
Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 1150 E. 1400 N., Logan, UT 84341, USA. Electronic address: daniel.cook@ars.usda.gov.
Daniel
D
Cook
Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 1150 E. 1400 N., Logan, UT 84341, USA.
Stephen T
ST
Lee
Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166-0299, USA.
Charlotte M
CM
Taylor
Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166-0299, USA.
Burgund
B
Bassüner
Hospital Veterinario, CSTR, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Patos 58700-310, Paraíba, Brazil.
Franklin
F
Riet-Correa
Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 1150 E. 1400 N., Logan, UT 84341, USA.
James A
JA
Pfister
Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 1150 E. 1400 N., Logan, UT 84341, USA.
Dale R
DR
Gardner
D001938:Brazil; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005463:Fluoroacetates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000633:toxicity*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D019666:Rubiaceae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification
D005463:Fluoroacetates; D010936:Plant Extracts; C014815:fluoroacetic acid
Chemosystematics; Monofluoroacetate; Palicourea; Sudden death syndrome