Subacute and chronic toxic hepatopathy in cattle grazing pasture with Crotalaria spectabilis.

This report describes subacute and chronic toxic hepatopathy in cattle due to Crotalaria spectabilis poisoning. A total of 200 male Nellore cattle were introduced into a paddock contaminated with C. spectabilis. After spending 20 days grazing in this area, 6 cattle became ill and died. The remaining 194 cattle were moved to non-contaminated pasture in a nearby farm and, 45 days after arrival, 15 cattle became ill and died. Three affected cattle were necropsied. The main clinical changes consisted of anorexia, isolation from the herd, weight loss, jaundice, recumbency, and death. The primary lesions were observed in the liver. Subacutely poisoned cattle had slightly firm livers with an accentuated lobular pattern. Histologically, hepatocyte loss with dilated sinusoids, hepatomegalocytosis, and fibrosis was observed. Cattle with chronic disease had small, pale, firm livers with an irregular hepatic capsular surface. Microscopic changes included hepatocyte loss, hepatomegalocytosis, bile duct proliferation, and fibrosis.

Turning weeds into feed: Ensiling Calotropis gigantea (Giant milkweed) reduces its toxicity and enhances its palatability for dairy cows.

Calotropis gigantea (Giant milkweed, GM) has the potential to be utilized as a new feed additive for ruminants, however, the presence of unpalatable or toxic compounds decreases animal feed intake. This study aimed to valorize GM as a potential new feed resource through the chemical and microbial biotransformation of toxic compounds that will henceforth, make the plant palatable for cows. After GM's ensiling using fermentative bacteria, the plant was sampled for UHPLC-MS/MS to analyse the metabolomic changes. Illumina Miseq of the 16 S rRNA fragment genes and ITS1 were used to describe the microbial composition and structure colonizing GM silage and contributing to the biodegradation of toxic compounds. Microbial functions were predicted from metataxonomic data and KEGG pathways analysis. Eight Holstein dairy cows assigned in a cross-over design were supplemented with GM and GM silage to evaluate palatability and effects on milk yield and milk protein. Cows were fed their typical diet prior to the experiment (positive control). After ensiling, 23 flavonoids, 47 amino acids and derivatives increased, while the other 14 flavonoids, 9 amino acids and derivatives decreased, indicating active metabolism during the GM ensiling process. Lactobacillus buchneri, Bacteroides ovatus, and Megasphaera elsdenii were specific to ensiled GM and correlated to functional plant metabolites, while Sphingomonas paucimobilis and Staphylococcus saprophyticus were specific to non-ensiled GM and correlated to the toxic metabolite 5-hydroxymethylfurfural."Xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism", "cancer overview" and "neurodegenerative disease" were the highly expressed microbial KEGG pathways in non-ensiled GM. Non-ensiled GM is unpalatable for cows and drastically reduces the animal's feed intake, whereas ensiled GM does not reduce feed intake, milk yield and milk protein. This study provides essential information for sustainable animal production by valorizing GM as a new feed additive.

Toxic Garden and Landscaping Plants.

Many popular ornamental shrubs are not only beautiful but also toxic when ingested in sufficient quantities. Common toxic landscaping shrubs in North America include yew (Taxus spp), oleander (Nerium oleander), and rhododendrons and azaleas (Rhododendron spp). Horses are often exposed when plant trimmings are placed within reach or discarded in pastures. Occasionally clippings or fallen leaves contaminate hay. Some plants are unpalatable unless dried and mixed with hay or lawn clippings but others are ingested more readily. In many cases, disease can be severe and treatment unrewarding; therefore, client education is critical to preventing serious and potentially fatal poisonings.

Range and Pasture Plants Likely to Poison Horses.

Range and pasture toxic plants can poison horses. Many of these plants are noxious weeds that can dominate plant populations and replace healthy forages. Poisoning is often difficult to diagnose as the resulting plant-induced disease is similar to other infectious, toxic, and nutritional diseases. Identifying potentially problem plants, and observing what plants horses are eating, is essential in determining the risk of poisoning. If the risk is significant, it can drive management to invest in strategies to avoid exposure, animal disease, and suffering.

[Development of a Genus Identification Method for Poisonous Plants Using Real-Time PCR].

We have developed a rapid genus identification method for poisonous plants. The real-time PCR using the TaqMan® probe method was employed for detection, with the amplified targets being the "trnL (UAA)-intron" or "trnL-trnF intergenic spacer" regions of chloroplast DNA. The targeted plants were selected six genera (Aconitum, Colchicum, Veratrum, Brugmansia, Scopolia and Narcissus), which have been implicated in many instances of food poisoning in Japan. A tissue lysis solution was used for DNA extraction, which can be completed within approximate 30 min. A master mix corresponding to the tissue lysis solution was used for real-time PCR reagents. As a result, we were able to complete the entire process from DNA extraction to genus identification in 4 to 5 hr. The detection sensitivity was estimated at approximately 1 pg of DNA for all six plant genera. Remarkably, an amplification plot was discerned even with the crude cell lysates of all samples. It was also possible to obtain amplification curves for three plant samples that had been subjected to simulated cooking (boiling). This study suggests that the developed method can rapidly identify six genera of poisonous plants.

Immobilization of biomolecular anthocyanin natural sensor into plasma-cured polyethylene terephthalate fibers from recycled plastic waste for determination of ammonia.

Polyester textiles have been applied in numerous industrial applications. Polyester fibers are characterized with being excellent insulators to electricity, having excellent flexural and impact strength, ease of manufacture, low-cost, as well as having resistance to moisture and chemicals. However, polyester fibers cannot be stained due to the absence of active dyeing sites on the surface of the fibrous structure. Thus, polyester cannot be dyed after it has been extruded. Herein, we report the development of novel-colored polyester fabrics using plasma-assisted dyeing and anthocyanin natural probe for determination of ammonia that may cause severe harmful effects to human organs and even death. Anthocyanin was extracted from red cabbage and characterized. The water-soluble anthocyanin was fastened to polyester fibers by mordant (potash alum) to generate anthocyanin-mordant coordinative complex nanoparticles. Polyester can be treated with thin layer of anthocyanin probe after activation with plasma. The results showed excellent colorfastness, ultraviolet blocking, and antibacterial performance of the anthocyanin-dyed polyester (APET) fibers. The APET fibers showed great potential for developing a portable colorimetric device for an on-site detection of ammonia. APET displayed a detection limit of aqueous ammonia in the range of 25-200 ppb, displaying a change in color from purple (542 nm) to white (387 nm).

Defending the Defender: Adversarial Learning Based Defending Strategy for Learning Based Security Methods in Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS).

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are prone to many security exploitations due to a greater attack surface being introduced by their cyber component by the nature of their remote accessibility or non-isolated capability. Security exploitations, on the other hand, rise in complexities, aiming for more powerful attacks and evasion from detections. The real-world applicability of CPS thus poses a question mark due to security infringements. Researchers have been developing new and robust techniques to enhance the security of these systems. Many techniques and security aspects are being considered to build robust security systems; these include attack prevention, attack detection, and attack mitigation as security development techniques with consideration of confidentiality, integrity, and availability as some of the important security aspects. In this paper, we have proposed machine learning-based intelligent attack detection strategies which have evolved as a result of failures in traditional signature-based techniques to detect zero-day attacks and attacks of a complex nature. Many researchers have evaluated the feasibility of learning models in the security domain and pointed out their capability to detect known as well as unknown attacks (zero-day attacks). However, these learning models are also vulnerable to adversarial attacks like poisoning attacks, evasion attacks, and exploration attacks. To make use of a robust-cum-intelligent security mechanism, we have proposed an adversarial learning-based defense strategy for the security of CPS to ensure CPS security and invoke resilience against adversarial attacks. We have evaluated the proposed strategy through the implementation of Random Forest (RF), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) on the ToN_IoT Network dataset and an adversarial dataset generated through the Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) model.

Plants that Contaminate Feed and Forage and Poison Horses: Equine Ttxicology.

Many toxic plants are unpalatable to horses and are not eaten when alternative forage is available. However, when such plants contaminate prepared or baled feed and forage, herd competition and improved palatability can alter acceptance and thereby cause equine plant poisonings. Dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloid-containing plants; cocklebur; Salvia reflexa; kleingrass, switchgrass, and other saponin-containing grasses; jimson weed, black henbane, and other tropane alkaloid-containing plants; lantana; Cassia spp and other myotoxic plants; castor bean; cyanogenic glycoside-containing plants; thiaminase-containing plants; and hoary alyssum are among those that most commonly poison horses in North America via contaminated feed or forage.

[Exposures to fruit plants in Germany from 2010-2019 : Analysis of the Erfurt joint poison information center database]. / Expositionen mit Fruchtpflanzen in Deutschland im Zeitraum 2010­2019 : Auswertung der Datenbank des Gemeinsamen Giftinformationszentrums Erfurt (GGIZ).

BACKGROUND: Inquiries about fruit plants are a frequent reason for consultation with poison information centers, although it should be emphasized that there are no large systematic studies on toxicity based on exposure data. The aim of this work is to determine the risk of poisoning by fruit plants in Germany. METHODS: Retrospective study of data from the Erfurt Joint Poison Information Center on poisoning inquiries regarding fruit plants (2010-2019) with a detailed presentation of interim results, a tabular handout, plant photos as identification aids, and trend analyses. RESULTS: From 16,088 plant exposures with 16,700 plants, 214 different fruit plant species were identified. Forty-five fruit plant species (21%) turned out to be relevant (≥ 30 inquiries) and of these, 6 (2.8%) turned out to be highly relevant (≥ 300 inquiries). All relevant plants were assigned a defined risk category (RC): RC 0 (2; 4.4%), RC 1 (26; 57.8%), RC 2 (12; 26.7%), and RC 3 (5; 11.1%). Regarding the inquiries, 6% (459/7607) were related to RC 0; 47.9% (3645/7607) to RC 1; 39.3% to RC 2 (2986/7607); and 6.8% (517/7607) to RC 3. Of the inquiries, 69.5% (5284/7607) were related to young children (1 to < 6 years). Exposure outcomes for all age groups were asymptomatic in 82%, mild in 14.7%, moderate in 3%, and severe in 0.3%, with severe poisoning caused by seven plant species. Interventions were initiated in 66.8% (5079) of the inquiries. Inquiries were most frequently related to Taxus baccata, Ligustrum vulgare, Physalis alkekengi, Prunus laurocerasus, Convallaria majalis, Mahonia spec., Sambucus spec., Lonicera spec., Sorbus aucuparia, Thuja spec., Hedera helix, and Cotoneaster spec. DISCUSSION: Poisoning by fruit plants in Germany is rare. However, there is a great need for information and education.

[Study on 4 cases of mushroom poisoning with amanita and identification of poison].

Different kinds of poisonous mushrooms contain different toxic components. Acute liver injury caused by amanita mushroom is the main cause of death from poisonous mushroom poisoning in China. Consumption of poisonous mushrooms has an incubation period, there is a false recovery period in the clinical process, and the early performance is slight and does not attract enough attention from doctors, and it is easy to miss the treatment opportunity. The clinical characteristics, treatment and identification of mushrooms containing amanita in 4 patients were analyzed in order to improve clinicians' understanding of the diagnosis and treatment of mushroom poisoning and early species identification.

Rapid Russula senecis identification assays using loop-mediated isothermal amplification based on real-time fluorescence and visualization.

Russula senecis, a common poisonous mushroom, is widely distributed in China. Mushroom poisoning is becoming a major threat to human health and its rate is increasing worldwide. For the first time, we developed a set of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays based on a real-time fluorescence and a visualization method to detect R. senecis, and the visual LAMP reaction system was optimized to further shorten the reaction time. Both real-time LAMP and visual LAMP could detect as low as 3.2 pg of genomic DNA. In addition, fried and digested mushrooms were used to validate the proposed LAMP method, and mushroom mixtures with as low as 1% of the target species could be successfully detected, indicating that the LAMP assays established in this study had good applicability and could be used for clinical sample detection and forensic identification. Furthermore, the LAMP assays were proven to be comparable to the real-time PCR method. KEY POINTS: • A set of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays based on real-time fluorescence and visualization to detect Russula senecis was developed. • Both real-time LAMP and visual LAMP can be used to detect genomic DNA at concentrations as low as 3.2 pg. • By simulating mushroom processing and digestion in gastric juice, LAMP assays were proved to have good applicability and could be used for clinical diagnosis and forensic analysis.

Surveillance for foodborne disease outbreaks in Zhejiang Province, China, 2015-2020.

BACKGROUND: Foodborne diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality and a major public health problem worldwide. We aim to explore characteristics of foodborne disease outbreaks (FBDOs) in Zhejiang Province and to provide data support for foodborne disease prevention and control. To our knowledge, few such analyses have been published at the provincial level. METHODS: Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyze the data reported by centers for disease control (CDC) at all levels in Zhejiang Province through Foodborne Disease Outbreaks Surveillance System (FDOSS) during 2015-2020. RESULTS: A total of 962 FBDOs were reported during this period, resulting in 8324 illnesses, 1028 hospitalizations, and 20 deaths. The number of outbreaks (410 outbreaks, 42.62%) and cases (4991 cases, 59.96%) caused by bacteria were the largest, followed by poisonous mushrooms (157 outbreaks, 587 cases), which was the main cause of death (15 deaths, 75%). The highest number of FBDOs occurred in households (381 outbreaks, 39.60%), followed by restaurants (219 outbreaks, 22.77%) and canteens (174 outbreaks, 18.08%). Animal-based foods were the most common single food reported (232 outbreaks, 24.12%), followed by poisonous mushrooms (162 outbreaks, 16.84%), and plant-based foods (133 outbreaks, 13.83%). Poisonous mushrooms took the first place in outbreaks in households (38.32%, 146/381), while bacteria took the first place in outbreaks outside households. Vibrio parahaemolyticus was responsible for the largest number of outbreaks (232 outbreaks, 24.12%), which mainly occurred in catering service units (93.10%, 216/232). Different types of bacteria tended to be found in different food categories, such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which was mainly found in aquatic products. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of FBDOs can provide insight into the most important pathogens and sources of foodborne disease, helping authorities identify high-risk etiologies, high-risk foods, and high-risk settings to guide policies that would reduce FBDOs.

Does Ocean Sunfish Mola spp. (Tetraodontiformes: Molidae) Represent a Risk for Tetrodotoxin Poisoning in the Portuguese Coast?

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin naturally occurring in terrestrial and marine organisms such as pufferfish. Due to the risk of TTX poisoning, fish of Tetraodontidae family and other puffer-related species must not be placed in the EU markets. This restriction applies to fish of the family Molidae even though no data on toxins' occurrence is available. In this study, the presence of TTX and its analogues was investigated in the main edible tissue (the white muscle) and the main xenobiotics storage organ (the liver) of ocean sunfish Mola spp. (n = 13) from the South Portuguese coast. HILIC-MS/MS analyses did not reveal TTX in the analyzed samples, suggesting an inexistent or very limited risk of TTX poisoning.

Endogenous Fluorescent Proteins in the Mucus of an Intertidal Polychaeta: Clues for Biotechnology.

The vast ocean holds many unexplored organisms with unique adaptive features that enable them to thrive in their environment. The secretion of fluorescent proteins is one of them, with reports on the presence of such compounds in marine annelids being scarce. The intertidal Eulalia sp. is an example. The worm secretes copious amounts of mucus, that when purified and concentrated extracts, yield strong fluorescence under UV light. Emission has two main maxima, at 400 nm and at 500 nm, with the latter responsible for the blue-greenish fluorescence. Combining proteomics and transcriptomics techniques, we identified ubiquitin, peroxiredoxin, and 14-3-3 protein as key elements in the mucus. Fluorescence was found to be mainly modulated by redox status and pH, being consistently upheld in extracts prepared in Tris-HCl buffer with reducing agent at pH 7 and excited at 330 nm. One of the proteins associated with the fluorescent signal was localized in secretory cells in the pharynx. The results indicate that the secretion of fluorescent proteinaceous complexes can be an important defense against UV for this dweller. Additionally, the internalization of fluorescent complexes by ovarian cancer cells and modulation of fluorescence of redox status bears important considerations for biotechnological application of mucus components as markers.

Seasonal Variability in Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in Jacobaea alpina from the Trentino-Alto Adige Region (Northern Italy).

In recent years, increased attention has been given to plants containing toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). Jacobaea alpina (syn. Senecio cordatus) is a tall forb growing on mountain pastures and meadows containing such alkaloids and therefore, the plant is considered as a noxious weed in these environments. The repartition of toxic macrocyclic PAs in the plant and their evolution during the vegetation period has been studied in two populations. Eight PAs were found where senciphylline and senecionine accounted in most samples for more than 85 % of total alkaloids. Leaves in April and stems in May started with high PA concentrations (19-22 mg/g dry matter), then alkaloid levels declined. This decrease was more rapid in stems than in leaves. Depending on the population, fully developed inflorescences in June and July PA contents were higher or lower than in the respective leaves. Later, also in the inflorescences PA concentration decreased. Combined with growth data total alkaloid content in the whole plant as mg/plant was highest in midsummer and declined afterwards. Finally, new emerging leaves in September had high PA levels, which declined markedly towards the end of the season in November. In sum, over a large period PA concentration appeared to be high enough to present a health risk for grazing animals.

Rejection behaviour of horses for hay contaminated with meadow saffron (Colchicum autumnale L.).

BACKGROUND: Extensively used grasslands are frequently utilised for hay production for equines. Especially, extensive meadows have a great variety of plant species, which may include plants that are poisonous for equines such as meadow saffron (Colchicum autumnale L.). To authors' knowledge investigations about horses` avoidance behaviour towards dried meadow saffron in hay are missing. Reports of farmers are contrary to clinical symptoms described in case reports and associated with meadow saffron in hay. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the rejection behaviour of horses for hay contaminated with meadow saffron (MS) when fed ad libitum. STUDY DESIGN: An 18-day feeding trial with six adult geldings to observe the rejection behaviour for hay contaminated with MS. METHODS: The horses were fed a basal diet containing hay ad libitum and a mineral supplement during the feeding trial. At six different daytimes, hay contaminated with 1% or 2% dried MS was provided to the horses over a duration of 1 h. The rejection behaviour was observed personally and by video recordings. If a horse ingested more than two plants of MS during one observation period, the observation was stopped and repeated at another day. When the observation period had to be stopped twice, the horse was excluded from the experiment. RESULTS: Five of six horses ingested MS during the first feeding periods. One horse rejected leaves and capsules at the beginning of the study, but it showed repeated ingestion of MS after the seventh observation period. MAIN LIMITATIONS: Lack of knowledge about secondary plant metabolites affecting taste and their variability between fresh and dried plants. CONCLUSIONS: The intake of MS in hay by horses could not be ruled out with certainty. Therefore, feeding hay contaminated with MS should be avoided for equids.

Photosensitization Induced by Heterophyllaea pustulata in Goats: Sequential Development of Skin Lesions.

Five adult Saanen goats received a single oral dose of Heterophyllaea pustulata containing 42.25 µg/kg rubiadin (anthraquinone) and 3 adult goats were untreated controls. All goats were exposed to sunlight and sequential ear skin biopsies were collected before treatment and at 32 hours, 3 days, 8 days, and 15 days after treatment. Changes at 32 hours after dosing included epidermal spongiosis, single cell death and acantholysis, an increased BAX/BCL-2 protein ratio, and dermal edema. Lesions at day 3 included epidermal and adnexal necrosis, crust formation, and acanthosis. Acanthosis, hyperkeratosis, and dermal fibrosis and neovascularization were present at day 15. The pro-apoptotic (BAX)/anti-apoptotic (BCL-2) protein ratio increased at 32 hours, whereas epidermal and dermal PCNA immunolabeling increased between days 8 and 15 after treatment. The cutaneous lesions were consistent with sunlight-induced damage, and the occurrence in treated but not control goats indicates photosensitization.

Plant species used in Brazil and Asia regions with toxic properties.

Many efforts are being made to find biomolecules extracted from plants to be useful therapeutic agents to replace the drugs traditionally used in clinical medicine with known side effects and high financial investment, thus offering greater safety and less risk to the population. However, the presence of toxic substances such as alkaloids, amino acids, amides, glycosides, saponins, and tannins are the main reasons for the poisonous activity of some medicinal plants. In this sense, understanding plants constituents and lethal doses can be important source in managing several diseases in human life. This review aimed to present extracts, fractions, and/or compounds of plants of Brazil and Asia regions that have reported toxicity to in vitro and in vivo models. The results presented here contribute to warning the population about the toxicological characterization of some plants, however, further high-quality studies are needed to firmly establish the clinical efficacy of the plants (or compounds).

Development of molecular markers to distinguish between morphologically similar edible plants and poisonous plants using a real-time PCR assay.

BACKGROUND: As a result of similar appearances between edible and poisonous plants, 42 patients have ingested poisonous plants from 2013 to 2017 in Korea. We have developed species-specific primer sets of three of edible and poisonous plants sets (Ligularia fischeri & Caltha palustris, Artemisia annua & Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Hemerocallis fulva & Veratrum maackii) for distinguishing both plants using a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. RESULTS: The efficiencies of the developed primer sets ranged from 87.8% to 102.0%. The developed primer sets have significant correlation coefficient values between the Ct values and the log DNA concentration for their target species (r2 > 0.99). The cut-off lines as the crossing point values of the limit of quantitation of the target species were determined, and all non-target species were amplified later than the cut-off cycles. Then, the effectiveness of the developed primer sets was evaluated using commercial food products and digested samples with simulated gastric juice. CONCLUSION: All of the developed species-specific primer sets were able to detect target DNA successfully in commercial food products and the digested samples. Therefore, the developed species-specific primer sets in the present study would be useful tools for distinguishing between poisonous plants and edible plants. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

A survey of animal poisonings in New Zealand veterinary practices: perceptions of incidence and frequency of poisoning cases.

AIMS: To survey New Zealand veterinary practices on the incidence and frequency of animal poisonings encountered over a 1-year period. METHODS: A national questionnaire-based cross-sectional online survey was made available to all members of the New Zealand Veterinary Association, active as of 2010, via an email supplying a link to the questionnaire. Veterinary practices listed by the Veterinary Council of New Zealand were also contacted via email or phone. Respondents entered their information on the online survey site or provided a hard copy of their responses, which were then entered by the authors into the database. The questionnaire contained a mixture of tick box options and short answer questions. Responses were analysed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Of 463 veterinary practices deemed eligible to complete the survey, 120 (25.9%) responded to the survey. However, only 94 (78.3%) questionnaire entries (78.3%) were deemed adequate for analysis. Veterinary practices (45 mixed practices, 38 companion animal-only practices, nine large animal practices, and two equine-only practices) from 14/16 regions of New Zealand were represented. All respondents affirmed that in the last 12 months, cases of suspected poisoning in animals were attended by veterinarians at their practices and estimated a total of 5,326 poisoning cases. The subcategories most commonly associated with estimated cases of poisoning were pasture mycotoxins (2,133/5,326; 40%), anticoagulant rodenticides (753/5,326; 14.1%), plants (469/5,326; 8.8%), slug/snail baits (305/5,326; 5.7%) and chocolate (221/5,326; 4.1%). Except for anticoagulant rodenticides (once a month), and slug/snail baits, human prescription or over-the-counter drugs, and chocolate (once a year), the majority of respondents reported toxicants caused poisonings seasonally or infrequently. CONCLUSIONS: A variety of poisons were encountered with environmental toxins and household pest control agents being the most common cause of poisoning for animals attended by veterinarians in New Zealand. Most cases of poisoning in animals occurred seasonally or infrequently. Further research is needed to determine the actual number of animals poisoned, the affected species, and the seasons when poisoning occurs in New Zealand. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: : This report provides baseline information on cases of poisoning in animals in New Zealand which could be used for case management, prevention through client education, and poisoning risk assessment.