Abstract
Poisoning with cardiac glycoside-containing plants is collectively the most important plant-associated poisoning of livestock in southern Africa. As a diagnosis of this significant poisoning is currently based on circumstantial evidence, a practical chemical procedure indicating the presence of cardiac glycosides in plants and animal specimens would be of considerable benefit. The fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) method, used to determine digoxin plasma levels in humans and dogs, was adapted to estimate cardiac glycoside levels in known cardiac-glycoside-containing plants as well as in the rumen and organs of dosed sheep. Positive FPIA values were obtained with bufadienolide-containing plants, while negative results were obtained with plants not known to contain cardiac glycosides. The FPIA has aided in the diagnosis of cardiac glycoside poisoning in livestock and game in 30 outbreaks examined at the Division of Toxicology, Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute. Each outbreak is briefly described. As a result of this assay, a better understanding of cardiac glycoside poisoning has been reached.
Highlights
Cardiac glycoside-containing plants have a worldwide distribution, yet poisoning of stock with these plants is of significance only in southern Africa, where they collectively cause the most important plant-associated poisoning in the region (Kellerman, Coetzer & Naudé 1988; Kellerman, Naudé & Fourie 1996)
The findings strongly suggested that the colic was the result of cardiac glycoside poisoning
The advantage of fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) is the broad cross immunity of the commercially available digoxin fluorophore to the large variety of cardiac glycosides found in southern African plant species
Summary
Cardiac glycoside-containing plants have a worldwide distribution, yet poisoning of stock with these plants is of significance only in southern Africa, where they collectively cause the most important plant-associated poisoning in the region (Kellerman, Coetzer & Naudé 1988; Kellerman, Naudé & Fourie 1996). The veterinary important cardiac glycoside-containing plants have bufadienolides as their active principles, and poisoning by them may be either acute or chronic. Amongst those plants that cause acute poisoning, tulp (Moraea pallida, Moraea miniata and Moraea polystachya), slangkop (Drimia spp., formerly Urginea) (Germishuizen & Meyer 2003) and witstorm (Thesium lineatum) are the most notable. In both bufadienolide and cardenolide poisoning the respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and nervous systems are affected (Kellerman et al 1988, 1996)
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