Evaluation of acute and subacute toxicity of ethanolic extract and fraction of alkaloids from bark of Aspidosperma nitidum in mice.

This study investigated the acute and subacute toxicity of the ethanolic extract (EE) and alkaloid fraction (FA) from A. nitidum. The EE was obtained from trunk bark with ethanol, FA was obtained from the fractionation of EE. To test the acute toxicity, mice were divided into four groups, and the negative controls received water or aqueous solution of dimethyl sulfoxide, whereas the others received EE or FA (2000 mg/kg, orally, single dose). The same controls were used in the subacute trial. However, the animals were treated for 28 days, and the dose used was 1000 mg/kg per day of EE and FA. Daily clinical evaluations of the animals were performed. At the end of the experiment, hematological, biochemical, and histopathological assessments (liver, lung, heart, and kidney) were performed. In the acute and subacute toxicity studies, mice treated with EE and FA did not show any clinical changes, there were no changes in weight gain, hematological and biochemical parameters compared to the control groups (p > 0.05). In the histopathological examination, there was no abnormality in the organs of the treated animals. Therefore, EE and FA did not produce toxic effects in mice after acute and subacute treatment.

Toxicological and phytochemical studies of Aspidosperma subincanum Mart. stem bark (Guatambu).

Aspidosperma subincanum Mart. is widely used in Brazilian folk medicine to treat digestive disorders. In this study, acute and subchronic toxicity and cytotoxicity of stem bark ethanolic extract of Aspidosperma subincanum (EEAs) have been evaluated. In addition, phytochemical analysis was performed. The EEAs had low acute toxicity in mice with LD50 =1129 +/- 154mg/kg p.o. and 397 +/- 15 mg/kg i.p. The LC50 was 1340 +/- 428 microg/mL in the brine shrimp assay. There was no relevance of serious changes in behavioral, hematological and biochemical parameters and no deleterious effect on vital organs of rats that resulted after 30 days daily exposure to 5 and 100 mg/kg of EEAs. Phytochemical analysis of stem bark of A. subincanum revealed the presence of indole alkaloids, saponins, terpenoids, steroids and tannins and resulted in the isolation of oleic acid and guatambuine as major constituents. Using the method of the dose by factor approach, the human safe dose was 210 mg/70 kg/day. The EEAs appears to be safe and non-toxic in low doses in rodents and domestic preparations used by population have relatively security.

Poisoning in goats by Aspidosperma pyrifolium Mart.: biological and cytotoxic effects.

Spontaneous cases of poisoning by Aspidosperma pyrifolium, the toxicity to rats and in vitro cytotoxicity were evaluated. On all spontaneous cases studied, ingestion of the plant and cases of abortion occurred exclusively in goats. The majority of the cases of abortion occurred during the early dry season and the early rainy season, and experienced goats were less likely to be affected than naïve goats. Pregnant Wistar rats dosed with A. pyrifolium extract on the 15th gestational day or from the 15th to the 17th gestational day presented reduction of fetal weight and strong evidence of maternal toxicity was found. Female rats injected A. pyrifolium extract intraperitoneally presented motor disturbances and death; male rats were more resistant than females. Xylazine, atropine and diazepam administration did not prevent the effects of toxicity. Evaluation of the osmotic fragility of red blood cells was performed with the plant extract at different concentrations. In addition, 1-day-old larvae of Artemia salina were incubated with different concentrations of the extract. It was found that the extract of A. pyrifolium promoted hemolysis and was lethal to A. salina. These in vivo and in vitro assays may be useful as adjunct tests for further studies with this plant.

Plantas tóxicas para ruminantes e eqüídeos no Seridó Ocidental e Oriental do Rio Grande do Norte / Toxic plants for livestock in the western and eastern Seridó, state of Rio Grande do Norte, in the Brazilian semiarid

Para determinar a ocorrência de diferentes intoxicações por plantas na região do Seridó Ocidental e Oriental do Rio Grande do Norte foram entrevistadas 82 pessoas, entre produtores e técnicos em 17 municípios. De acordo com esse inquérito as duas intoxicações mais importantes são as por Ipomoea asarifolia, que causa sinais nervosos em ovinos, caprinos e bovinos, e por Aspidosperma pyrifolium que, segundo os entrevistados, causaria abortos em caprinos, ovinos e bovinos. O efeito abortivo desta última planta foi comprovado em caprinos, mas não em bovinos e ovinos. Alguns entrevistados mencionaram, também, a intoxicação por A. pyrifolium como causa de sinais nervosos em bovinos e eqüídeos, o que ainda não foi comprovado. Intoxicações por plantas cianogênicas, incluindo Manihot spp, Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil (=Piptadenia macrocarpa), Sorghum bicolor e Sorghum halepense são importantes na região. São importantes, também, as intoxicações por Prosopis juliflora em bovinos e, com menor freqüência, em caprinos, por Crotalaria retusa em eqüinos, ovinos e bovinos e por Mascagnia rigida em bovinos. As intoxicações por Brachiaria decumbens e Enterolobium contortisiliquum ocorrem esporadicamente. Outras intoxicações menos importantes são as causadas por Indigofera suffruticosa, Ipomoea carnea e Ricinus communis. Diversos produtores descreveram a intoxicação por Marsdenia sp afetando ovinos e bovinos, além de um surto em suínos que foram alimentados com as raízes da planta. Foi demonstrado que tanto as raízes da planta quanto as folhas são tóxicas para ruminantes, causando sinais nervosos, mas sem lesões histológicas. Outra intoxicação relatada pelos produtores e comprovada experimentalmente foi a causada por Tephrosia cinerea em ovinos, que causa um quadro clínico de ascite, com lesões de fibrose hepática. Seis produtores descreveram a intoxicação por Nerium oleander, sempre em bovinos que tiveram acesso à planta após esta ter sido cortada e misturada ou não com...

To determine the occurrence of plant poisoning in the Western and Eastern Seridó regions of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, 82 persons including farmers, agronomists and veterinarians were interviewed. The two more important toxic plants are Ipomoea asarifolia, which causes nervous signs in sheep, goats and cattle, and Aspidosperma pyrifolium, leading to abortion in goats, sheep and cattle. The abortive properties of this plant had been demonstrated experimentally in goats, but not in sheep and cattle. Some farmers mentioned the poisoning by A. pyrifolium as a cause of nervous signs in equidae and cattle. Poisoning by cyanogenic plants including Manihot spp, Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil (=Piptadenia macrocarpa), Sorghum bicolor and Sorghum halepense are important in the region. Important is also poisoning by Prosopis juliflora in cattle and with less frequency in goats, poisoning by Crotalaria retusa in horses, sheep and cattle, and by Mascagnia rigida in cattle. Poisoning by Brachiaria decumbens and Enterolobium contortisiliquum is sporadic. Other less important toxic plants in the region are Indigofera suffruticosa, Ipomoea carnea, and Ricinus communis. Some farmers reported poisoning by Marsdenia sp affecting sheep and cattle, and also a group of swine fed with the roots of the plant; the leaves and the roots are experimentally toxic to ruminants causing nervous signs, without histologic lesions. Another poisoning demonstrated experimentally is caused by Tephrosia cinerea and results in ascitis with hepatic fibrosis in sheep...