Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
Endogenous toxins and mycotoxins in forage grasses and their effects on livestock.
Abstract: Plant toxins are the chemical defenses of plants against herbivory. Grasses have relatively few intrinsic toxins, relying more on growth habit to survive defoliation and endophytic fungal toxins as chemical defenses. Forage grasses that contain intrinsic toxins include Phalaris spp. (tryptamine and carboline alkaloids), sorghums (cyanogenic glycosides), and tropical grasses containing oxalates and saponins. Toxic effects of these grasses include neurological damage (Phalaris staggers), hypoxia (sudangrass), saponin-induced photosensitization (Brachiaria and Panicum spp.), and bone demineralization (oxalate-containing grasses). Endophytic toxins in grasses include ergot alkaloids in tall fescue and tremorgens (e.g., lolitrem B) in perennial ryegrass. Lolitrems cause neurological effects, producing the ryegrass staggers syndrome. Annual ryegrass toxicosis is caused by corynetoxins, which are chemically similar to tunicamycin antibiotics. Corynetoxins are produced by Clavibacter bacteria that parasitize a nematode, Anguina agrostis, that may infect annual ryegrass. Corynetoxins inhibit glycoprotein synthesis, causing defective formation of various blood components of the reticulo-endothelial system. Another mycotoxin in ryegrass is sporidesmin, which causes liver damage and secondary photosensitization (facial eczema). Fusarium toxins such as zearalenone and trichothecenes also occur in forage grasses. Kikuyugrass poisoning results in severe damage to the ruminal epithelium and omasal mucosa, and neurological signs. The causative agent, which may be associated with army worm predation of the grass, has not been identified. The properties and significance of these toxins are reviewed.
Publication Date: 1995-03-01 PubMed ID: 7608026DOI: 10.2527/1995.733909xGoogle Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Review
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This piece of research looks into the effects of endogenous toxins and mycotoxins present in forage grasses on livestock health. These toxins, produced either by the plant itself or by endophytic fungi, can lead to a variety of health issues including neurological damage, hypoxia, bone demineralization, and damage to the ruminal epithelium and omasal mucosa.
Toxins Present in Grasses
- The research discusses several types of toxins that are found in forage grasses including Phalaris spp. (tryptamine and carboline alkaloids), sorghums (cyanogenic glycosides), and tropical grasses containing oxalates and saponins.
- These toxins can have neurological effects, produce ryegrass staggers syndrome, cause hypoxia, induce photosensitization, and cause bone demineralization.
- Endophytic fungi, present in grasses, produce toxins such as ergot alkaloids in tall fescue and tremorgens (e.g., lolitrem B) in perennial ryegrass. These toxins can have severe neurologic effects on livestock.
Mechanisms of Toxin Action
- Further toxicity can be brought about by the corynetoxins produced by Clavibacter bacteria that parasitize a nematode, Anguina agrostis, that may infect annual ryegrass. These toxins inhibit the synthesis of glycoproteins which disrupts the formation of various blood components of the reticulo-endothelial system.
- Another damaging mycotoxin is sporidesmin which causes liver damage and secondary photosensitization (facial eczema) in livestock.
- Fusarium toxins such as zearalenone and trichothecenes can also be found in forage grasses.
Kikuyugrass Poisoning
- The research also mentions Kikuyugrass poisoning which results in severe damage to the ruminal epithelium and omasal mucosa of livestock and also triggers neurological signs
- Interestingly, the causative agent of this poisoning, potentially associated with army worm predation of the grass, has not been identified in this research.
Significance of the Study
- By exploring the properties and effects of these numerous toxins, the research provides substantial information toward the understanding and management of toxin-induced health issues in livestock.
- Better knowledge about these toxins can help in developments to mitigate their harmful effects, thus improving the health and productivity of livestock.
Cite This Article
APA
Cheeke PR.
(1995).
Endogenous toxins and mycotoxins in forage grasses and their effects on livestock.
J Anim Sci, 73(3), 909-918.
https://doi.org/10.2527/1995.733909x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animal Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331-6702, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Acremonium / isolation & purification
- Acremonium / metabolism
- Animal Feed / analysis
- Animal Feed / microbiology
- Animal Feed / poisoning
- Animals
- Carbolines / analysis
- Carbolines / poisoning
- Cattle
- Ergot Alkaloids / analysis
- Ergot Alkaloids / metabolism
- Horses
- Lolium / chemistry
- Lolium / microbiology
- Mycotoxins / analysis
- Mycotoxins / poisoning
- Plant Poisoning / veterinary
- Poaceae / chemistry
- Poaceae / microbiology
- Sheep
- Toxins, Biological / analysis
- Toxins, Biological / poisoning
- Tryptamines / analysis
- Tryptamines / poisoning
References
This article includes 84 references
Citations
This article has been cited 16 times.- Piekarniak M, Weston LA, Gniazdowska A, Krasuska U. Hydrogen cyanide acts as a regulator of reactive oxygen species metabolism. Planta 2025 Oct 28;262(6):134.
- Salem-Bekhit MM, Riad OKM, Selim HMRM, Tohamy STK, Taha EI, Al-Suwayeh SA, Shazly GA. Box-Behnken Design for Assessing the Efficiency of Aflatoxin M1 Detoxification in Milk Using Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Life (Basel) 2023 Jul 31;13(8).
- Díaz-Rueda P, Morales de Los Ríos L, Romero LC, García I. Old poisons, new signaling molecules: the case of hydrogen cyanide. J Exp Bot 2023 Oct 13;74(19):6040-6051.
- Hille MM, Fritz SA, Brown BC. Presumptive hepatogenous photosensitization in beef cattle winter grazing a cover crop containing Brassica spp. turnips. J Vet Diagn Invest 2023 Sep;35(5):547-553.
- Fernández M, Pérez V, Fuertes M, Benavides J, Espinosa J, Menéndez J, García-Pérez AL, Ferreras MC. Pathological Study of Facial Eczema (Pithomycotoxicosis) in Sheep. Animals (Basel) 2021 Apr 9;11(4).
- Read JL, Firn J, Grice AC, Murphy R, Ryan-Colton E, Schlesinger CA. Ranking buffel: Comparative risk and mitigation costs of key environmental and socio-cultural threats in central Australia. Ecol Evol 2020 Dec;10(23):12745-12763.
- Garai E, Risa A, Varga E, Cserháti M, Kriszt B, Urbányi B, Csenki Z. Qualifying the T-2 Toxin-Degrading Properties of Seven Microbes with Zebrafish Embryo Microinjection Method. Toxins (Basel) 2020 Jul 18;12(7).
- Clifton EH, Jaronski ST, Coates BS, Hodgson EW, Gassmann AJ. Effects of endophytic entomopathogenic fungi on soybean aphid and identification of Metarhizium isolates from agricultural fields. PLoS One 2018;13(3):e0194815.
- Lee HS, Lindahl J, Nguyen-Viet H, Khong NV, Nghia VB, Xuan HN, Grace D. An investigation into aflatoxin M (1) in slaughtered fattening pigs and awareness of aflatoxins in Vietnam. BMC Vet Res 2017 Nov 28;13(1):363.
- Sahoo RK, Warren AD, Collins SC, Kodandaramaiah U. Hostplant change and paleoclimatic events explain diversification shifts in skipper butterflies (Family: Hesperiidae). BMC Evol Biol 2017 Aug 2;17(1):174.
- Tütüncü Konyar S, Öztürk N, Dane F. Occurrence, types and distribution of calcium oxalate crystals in leaves and stems of some species of poisonous plants. Bot Stud 2014 Dec;55(1):32.
- Moore BD, Johnson SN. Get Tough, Get Toxic, or Get a Bodyguard: Identifying Candidate Traits Conferring Belowground Resistance to Herbivores in Grasses. Front Plant Sci 2016;7:1925.
- Gallo A, Giuberti G, Frisvad JC, Bertuzzi T, Nielsen KF. Review on Mycotoxin Issues in Ruminants: Occurrence in Forages, Effects of Mycotoxin Ingestion on Health Status and Animal Performance and Practical Strategies to Counteract Their Negative Effects. Toxins (Basel) 2015 Aug 12;7(8):3057-111.
- Kang DH, Lee DJ, Kim J, Lee JY, Kim HW, Kwon K, Taylor WR, Jo H, Kang SW. Vascular injury involves the overoxidation of peroxiredoxin type II and is recovered by the peroxiredoxin activity mimetic that induces reendothelialization. Circulation 2013 Aug 20;128(8):834-44.
- Fayrer-Hosken R, Stanley A, Hill N, Heusner G, Christian M, De La Fuente R, Baumann C, Jones L. Effect of feeding fescue seed containing ergot alkaloid toxins on stallion spermatogenesis and sperm cells. Reprod Domest Anim 2012 Dec;47(6):1017-26.
- Sabater-Vilar M, Maas RF, De Bosschere H, Ducatelle R, Fink-Gremmels J. Patulin produced by an Aspergillus clavatus isolated from feed containing malting residues associated with a lethal neurotoxicosis in cattle. Mycopathologia 2004 Nov;158(4):419-26.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
