Poisonous plants: effects on embryo and fetal development

Poisonous plant research in the United States began over 100 years ago as a result of livestock losses from toxic plants as settlers migrated westward with their flocks, herds, and families. Major losses were soon associated with poisonous plants, such as locoweeds, selenium accumulating plants, poison-hemlock, larkspurs, Veratrum, lupines, death camas, water hemlock, and others. Identification of plants associated with poisoning, chemistry of the plants, physiological effects, pathology, diagnosis, and prognosis, why animals eat the plants, and grazing management to mitigate losses became the overarching mission of the current Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory. Additionally, spin-off benefits resulting from the animal research have provided novel compounds, new techniques, and animal models to study human health conditions (biomedical research). The Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory has become an international leader of poisonous plant research as evidenced by the recent completion of the ninth International Symposium on Poisonous Plant Research held July 2013 in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China. In this article, we review plants that negatively impact embryo/fetal and neonatal growth and development, with emphasis on those plants that cause birth defects. Although this article focuses on the general aspects of selected groups of plants and their effects on the developing offspring, a companion paper in this volume reviews current understanding of the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms of toxicoses and teratogenesis.

[Study on toxicity of uniform design-based compatible use of Veratrum nigrum and asarum]

The compatible use of Veratrum nigrum with asarum, is one of the eighteen incompatible pairs. To research the toxic regularity of the compatible use of V. nigrum and asarum, this experiment adopted the uniform design combining with acute toxicity test, with the number of died animals as the observation indicator. The results showed that the toxicity came from the common effect of V. nigrum and asarum, and V. nigrum after the compatible use, and V. nigrum made a greater contribution to the toxicity caused by the compatible use. But the toxicity did not absolutely enhance with the increase in use of V. nigrum.

Teratogenic compounds of Veratrum californicum (Durand). II. Production of ovine fetal cyclopia by fractions and alkaloid preparations

Certain fractions as well as glycosidic and parent alkamine alkaloid preparations derived from the plant Veratrum califomicum were shown to produce ovine fetal cyclopia. Other Veratrum preparations were also tested for teratogenicity. A mechanism for the teratogenic effect is postulated.