Clinical and anatomopathological aspects of spontaneous and experimental Stryphnodendron fissuratum poisoning in cattle and sheep.

Abstract

Spontaneous and experimental Stryphnodendron fissuratum poisoning in cattle have been documented in the scientific literature. However, clinical and anatomopathological aspects of such poisoning and the mechanism of action of the plant on target organs are not fully understood. Thus, the objective of this study was to elucidate these mechanisms by analyzing spontaneous plant poisoning in cattle and experimental plant poisoning in sheep. Three outbreaks in cattle from different farms were analyzed. From these farms, S. fissuratum fruit specimens were collected and subsequently administered to six sheep. Some cattle showed clinical signs of poisoning such as blindness, apathy, dysphagia, excessive drooling, weight loss and photodermatitis. In the experimental poisoning condition, one sheep received only the peel of the fruit, one received the seed, and the others received the whole fruit. The whole fruit caused fatal poisoning in one sheep, which showed anorexia, excessive drooling, nystagmus, and paddling. The peel of the fruit was less toxic. Necropsies and clinical, histopathological, and pathological examination of poisoned cattle and sheep showed that the plant causes acute renal failure along with extrarenal uremic lesions.