[Acute intoxication by redoul (Coriaria myrtifolia L.). Three observations]. / Intoxication aiguë par le redoul (Coriaria myrtifolia L.). Trois observations.

INTRODUCTION: Coriaria myrtifolla L. (Redoul) is a shrub of the Mediterranean area. Poisoning with this plant is often accidental, following ingestion of the plant's fruit that are often mistaken for blackberries. OBSERVATIONS: Having eaten Coriaria myrtifolla L. berries, three sisters suffered from acute poisoning. One died. COMMENTS: Toxic effects are characterized by digestive (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain), neurological (obnubilation, convulsions and their complications), and respiratory disorders (polypnea, respiratory problems, apnea, short and superficial respiration) together with myositis of the pupils. Treatment of this poisoning is purely symptomatic. In the case of convulsions, rapid resuscitation in an intensive care unit in necessary.

Dietary cancer risk from conditional cancerogens (tumor promoters) in produce of livestock fed on species of spurge (Euphorbiaceae). IV. Toxicologic and pathophysiologic observations in lactating goats and their suckling kids fed on the irritant herbs Euphorbia nubica and Euphorbia helioscopia: an etiologic model for investigations on the putative risk of cancer by consumption of food p.

The feeding of lactating goats on usual green fodder, contaminated with Euphorbia helioscopia or E. nubica, results in poisoning of the dams as well as their suckling kids. General signs of toxicity were emaciation, depression, shedding of body hair, arching of back, and possible death. Post-mortem changes of dams and dead suckling kids included congestion and hemorrhage in cardiac muscle, lung, liver, and kidneys. Blood analyses of goats exposed to these contaminants showed an increased level of serum alanine amino transferase compared to control samples, indicating cellular destruction in the liver. The latter was confirmed by histopathological changes in the organ which include severe congestion, necrosis, and degenerative changes. The goats also suffered from deterioration of renal function as indicated by increased blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels. In histopathologic inspections of kidney, severe congestion, hemorrhage in the cortex and medulla, as well as necrosis of epithelial cells of kidney tubules were noticed. Considerable degenerative changes were also observed in heart and lung. The pathophysiological appearances indicate that by feeding on the Euphorbia species mentioned above, the goats are poisoned in a way similar to the case of E. peplus reported previously. Such intoxication most likely is due to irritant and hyperplasiogenic diterpene ester (DTE) toxins, usually present in the aerial parts of Euphorbia species and well known as tumor promoters in mouse skin. After ingestion of the toxic plant parts by the goats, the DTE toxins might be metabolized and thereby partially detoxified. Yet, at least in part, they may show up in the milk of the goats, as indicated by severe poisoning of their suckling kids. As discussed previously in lactating goats fed on fodder contaminated with E. peplus, tumor promoters of the DTE type may enter the human food chain via this source of milk. Such milk may be considered a valuable etiologic model for the investigation of economic, ecologic, and public health problems raised by human diet polluted with tumor promoters, i.e., conditional (non-genotoxic) cancerogens.

Dietary cancer risk from conditional cancerogens (tumor promoters) in produce of livestock fed on species of spurge (Euphorbiaceae). V. Skin irriitant and tumor-promoting diterpene ester toxins of the tigliane and ingenane type in the herbs Euphorbia nubica and Euphorbia helioscopia contaminating fodder of livestock.

Irritant diterpene ester toxins were isolated from Euphorbia nubica and E. helioscopia, which are contaminants of the green fodder of livestock in Egypt. Fractionations of methanol extracts of aerial parts of both plants were monitored by the irritation unit on the mouse ear. Plant extracts were subjected to multiplicative distribution methods, yielding irritant hydrophilic fractions that were further purified by column chromatography. Final purification of the materials was achieved by TLC (silica gel) followed by HPLC, or by TLC alone. In this way, from E. nubica, five Euphorbia factors (Nu1-Nu5) were isolated and characterized as short-chain polyfunctional diterpene esters of tigliane-type parent alcohols. The two weak irritants Nul and Nu3 were triesters of 4-deoxy(4alpha)phorbol. Nu2 was shown to be a triester of the stereoisomeric tigliane-type parent alcohol 4-deoxyphorbol. Weak irritant Nu4 probably is a positional isomer of Nu2. Nu5 was characterized as a short-chain triester of 4,20-dideoxy-5xi-hydroxyphorbol. From E. helioscopia, six short- to medium-chain polyfunctional diterpene esters of the ingenane type, generally containing unsaturated acids were obtained, i.e., four irritant esters of ingenol (Euphorbia factors H1, H2, H5, and H6) and two esters of 20-deoxyingenol (non-irritant Euphorbia substance HS4, and irritant Euphorbia factor H8). All irritant Euphorbia factors of the tigliane and ingenane diterpene ester type described in this investigation are considered to be more or less active tumor promoters, i.e., conditional (non-genotoxic) cancerogens. The Euphorbia factors assayed exhibited moderate (H1) to low (H8) relative tumor-promoting potency in comparison to the ingenane prototype DTE tumor promoter 3-TI.

A krimpsiekte-like syndrome in small stock poisoned by Ornithogalum toxicarium Archer & Archer.

Krimpsiekte (the syndrome associated with chronic cardiac glycoside poisoning) was purportedly induced by Ornithlogalum toxicarium in the Karas mountains area of Keetmanshoop, Namibia. This chinkerinchee species was previously linked to a condition known as 'kwylbek' krimpsiekte in small stock in the Beaufort West district of the Western Cape Province, South Africa. In a dosing trial, respiratory distress, tachycardia and sternal recumbency were observed in 2 sheep drenched with fresh plant material. A fluorescence polarisation immunoassay (FPIA) detected the presence of a substance that cross-reacted with digoxin antibodies in some of the plant material collected at Keetmanshoop and Beaufort West. This is the first time that apparent cardiac glycoside poisoning was induced by a southern African chinkerinchee species. The presence of the cardiac glycoside-like substance in O. toxicarium requires further chemical verification.

Redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus) poisoning of cattle in southern Brazil.

Two outbreaks of Amaranthus retroflexus (redroot pigweed) poisoning occurring in cattle in southern Brazil in late summer and early autumn are described. In both instances too many cattle were held in small paddocks heavily invaded by A retroflexus in its seeding stage. In 1 herd 8/28 heifers and in the other 15/45 adult cows died. Clinical courses ranged from 3 to 7 d. Clinical signs included depression, loss of weight, mild serous nasal discharge, foul smelling liquid feces tinged with blood, subcutaneous dependent edema, and laborious and incoordinated walking. Main necropsy findings were subcutaneous, cavitary and perirenal edemas, renal subcapsular hematomas, and ulcerative lesions in the alimentary tract. The kidneys were swollen and pale. Histopathological findings were in the kidneys and consisted of tubular degeneration, necrosis and regeneration with interstitial fibrosis and tubular proteinosis.

Anticholinergic poisoning associated with herbal tea.

An outbreak of cholinergic poisoning occurred in New York City during a 3-day period. Seven individuals from three families of South American origin were affected. Signs and symptoms of illness included dry skin, hyperthermia, tachycardia, dilated pupils, agitation, and hallucinations. Onset of illness in all cases was temporally associated with consumption of a tea that was labeled "Paraguay Tea" and was purchased from a grocery store specializing in South American foods. Paraguay tea, made from the leaves of the holly, Ilex paraguariensis, contains caffeine and theophylline and is a popular beverage in South America. Samples of the tea analyzed with gas chromatography contained belladonna alkaloids but neither caffeine nor theophylline. An investigation by the New York City Department of Health personnel determined that the tea was from a single lot, imported by one distributor, and sold at one grocery store. Unsold inventories of the tea were quarantined, and no further cases of anticholinergic poisoning were reported.