title: White snakeroot poisoning in goats: Variations in toxicity with different plant chemotypes.
abstract: Tremetone and possibly other benzofuran ketones are believed to be the toxic compounds in white snakeroot. However, disease has not been reproduced with purified toxins and the concentrations of the benzofuran ketones in white snakeroot populations that cause toxicosis have not been documented. The objectives of this study were to compare the toxicity of seven plant populations, better characterize the clinical and pathologic changes of poisoning, and correlate intoxication with benzofuran ketone content. Four of the seven white snakeroot collections were toxic at the dose and duration used in the study. Affected goats became exercise intolerant, had significant serum enzyme changes and histological lesions in the large appendicular muscles. The incidence and severity of poisoning was not correlated with total doses of tremetone or total benzofuran ketone concentrations suggesting they may not be closely involved in producing toxicity and the possible involvement of an unidentified toxin. The results also demonstrate that white snakeroot populations vary chemically and toxicologically.
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory, 1150 E. 1400 N., Logan, UT, USA. Electronic address: zane.davis@ars.usda.gov.
authors.forename: T Z
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory, 1150 E. 1400 N., Logan, UT, USA.
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Stegelmeier
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory, 1150 E. 1400 N., Logan, UT, USA.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Collett
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory, 1150 E. 1400 N., Logan, UT, USA.
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory, 1150 E. 1400 N., Logan, UT, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pfister
authors.affiliation: The Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory, 1150 E. 1400 N., Logan, UT, USA.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Grum
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1816 S. Oak St., Champaign, IL, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buck
mesh_terms: D036603:Ageratina / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D006041:Goats; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000633:toxicity*; D010939:Plant Poisoning / Q000662:veterinary*; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D010936:Plant Extracts; C009519:tremetol; C105430:benzofuran
keywords: Benzofuran ketones; Goats; Tremetone; White snakeroot