Curing experimental Bryophyllum tubiflorum poisoning of cattle with activated carbon, electrolyte replacement solution and antiarrhythmic drugs

Immunological detection of cardiac glycosides in plants

Australian native and introduced plants were examined, using digoxin immunoassays, to detect the presence of cross-reacting cardiac glycosides. These compounds were found in 27 species from 20 genera. The assay technique can also be used on serum samples to confirm cardiac glycoside ingestion.

Treatment of cardiovascular disease in cattle

Cardiac diseases of cattle may involve valvular structures, myocardium, pericardium, or blood vessels and are manifested by the clinical signs of cardiac dysrhythmias, cardiac murmurs, generalized edema, muffled heart sounds, jugular venous distention, jugular venous pulsations, pulmonary edema, pleural effusion, or ascites. Digoxin, quinidine, and furosemide can be used effectively to control signs of CHF and cardiac arrhythmias. Combination antimicrobial therapy can be successful for cows with infective endocarditis and thrombophlebitis. Pericardial fluid drainage may temporarily improve cattle with traumatic pericarditis or lymphosarcoma so that short-term goals may be reached.

Dealing with plant poisoning of livestock: the challenge in Queensland

The current and possible future situation of diagnosis, prevention and treatment of plant poisoning of livestock in Queensland is reviewed. Topics discussed are livestock producers' perceptions, field investigation, plant identification, veterinary laboratory techniques and prevention through knowledge of poisonous species and the circumstances of poisoning. Also considered are management strategies for prevention including the manipulation of rumen flora and epidemiological approaches, therapies including immunisation, plant control and sources of information on poisonous plants and poisoning.

The toxicity to cattle and bufadienolide content of six Bryophyllum species

Cardiac glycoside poisoning was produced in calves given (in descending order of toxicity) flower heads of the hybrid Bryophyllum (Kalanchoe) daigremontianum x B. tubiflorum, of B. pinnatum, of B. tubiflorum (from previous work), whole plant of B. fedtschenkoi, flower heads of B. daigremontianum and whole plant of B. proliferum. For each plant (except B. tubiflorum), 2 calves were each given a single dose of 20 g wet weight per kg bodyweight. By using high performance liquid chromatography, the bufadienolides (cardiac glycosides) bryotoxin A, B and C were detected and assayed in the flower heads and leaf plus stem of B. tubiflorum and in the roots of B. tubiflorum, the hybrid and B. pinnatum. Only bryotoxins B and C were detected and assayed in the flower heads and leaf plus stem of the hybrid, B. daigremontianum and B. pinnatum. No bryotoxins were detected in B. fedtschenkoi. Bryotoxin A and a mixture of bryotoxins B and C from B. tubiflorum flowers were used as standards in the chromatographic assay. Comparing the results of the calf toxicity experiment with the amounts of bufadienolide measured in the plants suggests that bryotoxins A, B and C probably account for the observed disease, but that B. pinnatum and B. fedtschenkoi contain at least one other cardiac glycoside.