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Home / Equine Research Bank / J Vet Diagn Invest / Poisoning by Brunfelsia uniflora in sheep and donkeys.
Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc2018; 30(3); 476-478; doi: 10.1177/1040638718757581

Poisoning by Brunfelsia uniflora in sheep and donkeys.

Abstract: Farmers in the State of Piauí in northeastern Brazil reported nervous signs in ruminants and donkeys after ingestion of Brunfelsia uniflora at the start of the rainy season when the plant is flowering. Leaves of the plant, collected at the start or at the end of the rainy season, were administered in single doses of 5-20 g/kg body weight to 8 sheep and 3 donkeys. Two sheep and 1 donkey that ingested 10 g/kg of the plant in November at the start of the rainy season, when the plant was flowering, developed severe convulsions and diarrhea. One sheep was euthanized and autopsied, and no significant lesions were found. The other sheep and the donkey recovered. Four sheep and one donkey that ingested 10 or 20 g/kg of leaves collected in April, at the end of the rainy season, did not show clinical signs. One donkey that ingested 5 g/kg of leaves collected in November developed diarrhea and recovered. These results demonstrate the toxicity of B. uniflora for livestock and suggest that the plant is toxic at these doses only during the start of the rainy season.
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Publication Date: 2018-02-06 PubMed ID: 29405901PubMed Central: PMC6505815DOI: 10.1177/1040638718757581Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

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.

The research article discusses a study conducted in northeastern Brazil where farmers reported their livestock, specifically ruminants and donkeys, showing signs of poisoning after eating Brunfelsia uniflora plants, particularly during the rainy season when these plants bloom.

Study Background

  • The article begins by addressing a problem faced by farmers in Piauí, Brazil, where their sheep and donkeys showed symptoms of nervous distress after ingesting Brunfelsia uniflora. This is a type of plant that flowers at the start of the region’s rainy season.
  • The researchers observed this behavior and decided to conduct a study to understand the cause of these symptoms and whether they could be directly related to the consumption of Brunfelsia uniflora.

Experiment Design

  • The experiment involved collecting leaves of the Brunfelsia uniflora at two different times- at the start and at the end of the rainy season.
  • These collected leaves were then administered in single doses ranging between 5-20 g/kg of body weight to a sample of eight sheep and three donkeys.

Results

  • The outcome of the experiment was varied. Two sheep and a donkey that had consumed 10 g/kg of the plant in November (start of the rainy season) showed severe symptoms such as convulsions and diarrhea. However, no significant lesions were found when one of the sheep was euthanized and autopsied. The second sheep and donkey recovered over time.
  • Four sheep and a donkey that consumed the plant in April (end of the rainy season) did not show any clinical signs of illness or distress.
  • This contrast in effects of consumption at different times of the year led to the researchers’ conclusion that the plant, Brunfelsia uniflora, is toxic for livestock, but only at the beginning of the rainy season.
  • However, the article also discusses a slight anomaly where a donkey that consumed a lesser dose (5 g/kg of the plant’s leaves) in November developed diarrhea but eventually recovered, suggesting even at lower doses at the start of the rainy season, the plant could still cause illness.

Conclusion

  • The study determines that the Brunfelsia uniflora plant is toxic to livestock but only when consumed at the start of the rainy season, possibly when the plant is in bloom.
  • This finding helps explain the nervous distress observed in livestock by the farmers in Piauí. This information can assist them in managing and controlling their livestock’s grazing habits, especially during the start of the rainy season, to avoid potential health hazards to the animals.
  • The study also indicates that further research is necessary to better understand the factors contributing to the plant’s season-specific toxicity.

Cite This Article

APA
Mello GW, Riet-Correa F, Batista MC, Carvalho CJ, Dias AC, Franklin FL, Silva SM, Dias A. (2018). Poisoning by Brunfelsia uniflora in sheep and donkeys. J Vet Diagn Invest, 30(3), 476-478. https://doi.org/10.1177/1040638718757581

Publication

Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc
ISSN: 1943-4936
NlmUniqueID: 9011490
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 30
Issue: 3
Pages: 476-478

Researcher Affiliations

Mello, Gustavo W
  • Universidade Estadual do Piauí, Campus Professor Alexandre Alves de Oliveira s/n, Parnaíba, Brasil (Mello).
  • Hospital Veterinário, Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Campus de Patos, Patos, Brasil (Riet-Correa).
  • Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, La Estanzuela, Colonia, Uruguay (Riet-Correa).
  • Universidade Federal do Piauí, Campus Agrícola da Socopo s/n, Teresina, Piauí, Brasil.
  • Rua Anísio de Abreu, Teresina, Brasil (Batista, Carvalho, Dias, Franklin, Silva).
  • Universidade Federal do Piaui, Teresina, Piauí, Brasil (Dias).
Riet-Correa, Franklin
  • Universidade Estadual do Piauí, Campus Professor Alexandre Alves de Oliveira s/n, Parnaíba, Brasil (Mello).
  • Hospital Veterinário, Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Campus de Patos, Patos, Brasil (Riet-Correa).
  • Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, La Estanzuela, Colonia, Uruguay (Riet-Correa).
  • Universidade Federal do Piauí, Campus Agrícola da Socopo s/n, Teresina, Piauí, Brasil.
  • Rua Anísio de Abreu, Teresina, Brasil (Batista, Carvalho, Dias, Franklin, Silva).
  • Universidade Federal do Piaui, Teresina, Piauí, Brasil (Dias).
Batista, Maria C
  • Universidade Estadual do Piauí, Campus Professor Alexandre Alves de Oliveira s/n, Parnaíba, Brasil (Mello).
  • Hospital Veterinário, Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Campus de Patos, Patos, Brasil (Riet-Correa).
  • Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, La Estanzuela, Colonia, Uruguay (Riet-Correa).
  • Universidade Federal do Piauí, Campus Agrícola da Socopo s/n, Teresina, Piauí, Brasil.
  • Rua Anísio de Abreu, Teresina, Brasil (Batista, Carvalho, Dias, Franklin, Silva).
  • Universidade Federal do Piaui, Teresina, Piauí, Brasil (Dias).
Carvalho, Ciro J
  • Universidade Estadual do Piauí, Campus Professor Alexandre Alves de Oliveira s/n, Parnaíba, Brasil (Mello).
  • Hospital Veterinário, Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Campus de Patos, Patos, Brasil (Riet-Correa).
  • Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, La Estanzuela, Colonia, Uruguay (Riet-Correa).
  • Universidade Federal do Piauí, Campus Agrícola da Socopo s/n, Teresina, Piauí, Brasil.
  • Rua Anísio de Abreu, Teresina, Brasil (Batista, Carvalho, Dias, Franklin, Silva).
  • Universidade Federal do Piaui, Teresina, Piauí, Brasil (Dias).
Dias, Alexandre C
  • Universidade Estadual do Piauí, Campus Professor Alexandre Alves de Oliveira s/n, Parnaíba, Brasil (Mello).
  • Hospital Veterinário, Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Campus de Patos, Patos, Brasil (Riet-Correa).
  • Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, La Estanzuela, Colonia, Uruguay (Riet-Correa).
  • Universidade Federal do Piauí, Campus Agrícola da Socopo s/n, Teresina, Piauí, Brasil.
  • Rua Anísio de Abreu, Teresina, Brasil (Batista, Carvalho, Dias, Franklin, Silva).
  • Universidade Federal do Piaui, Teresina, Piauí, Brasil (Dias).
Franklin, Fabio L
  • Universidade Estadual do Piauí, Campus Professor Alexandre Alves de Oliveira s/n, Parnaíba, Brasil (Mello).
  • Hospital Veterinário, Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Campus de Patos, Patos, Brasil (Riet-Correa).
  • Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, La Estanzuela, Colonia, Uruguay (Riet-Correa).
  • Universidade Federal do Piauí, Campus Agrícola da Socopo s/n, Teresina, Piauí, Brasil.
  • Rua Anísio de Abreu, Teresina, Brasil (Batista, Carvalho, Dias, Franklin, Silva).
  • Universidade Federal do Piaui, Teresina, Piauí, Brasil (Dias).
Silva, Silvana M
  • Universidade Estadual do Piauí, Campus Professor Alexandre Alves de Oliveira s/n, Parnaíba, Brasil (Mello).
  • Hospital Veterinário, Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Campus de Patos, Patos, Brasil (Riet-Correa).
  • Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, La Estanzuela, Colonia, Uruguay (Riet-Correa).
  • Universidade Federal do Piauí, Campus Agrícola da Socopo s/n, Teresina, Piauí, Brasil.
  • Rua Anísio de Abreu, Teresina, Brasil (Batista, Carvalho, Dias, Franklin, Silva).
  • Universidade Federal do Piaui, Teresina, Piauí, Brasil (Dias).
Dias, Alex
  • Universidade Estadual do Piauí, Campus Professor Alexandre Alves de Oliveira s/n, Parnaíba, Brasil (Mello).
  • Hospital Veterinário, Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Campus de Patos, Patos, Brasil (Riet-Correa).
  • Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, La Estanzuela, Colonia, Uruguay (Riet-Correa).
  • Universidade Federal do Piauí, Campus Agrícola da Socopo s/n, Teresina, Piauí, Brasil.
  • Rua Anísio de Abreu, Teresina, Brasil (Batista, Carvalho, Dias, Franklin, Silva).
  • Universidade Federal do Piaui, Teresina, Piauí, Brasil (Dias).

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Brazil
  • Equidae
  • Horse Diseases / chemically induced
  • Horse Diseases / pathology
  • Horses
  • Male
  • Plant Leaves / poisoning
  • Plant Poisoning / pathology
  • Plant Poisoning / veterinary
  • Seasons
  • Sheep
  • Sheep Diseases / chemically induced
  • Sheep Diseases / pathology
  • Solanaceae / poisoning

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

References

This article includes 12 references
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