Abstract
Oleander is a spontaneous shrub widely occurring in Mediterranean regions. Poisoning is sporadically reported in livestock, mainly due to the ingestion of leaves containing toxic cardiac glycosides (primarily oleandrin). In this study, 50 lactating Fleckvieh cows were affected after being offered a diet containing dry oleander pruning wastes accidentally mixed with fodder. Clinical examination, electrocardiogram, and blood sampling were conducted. Dead animals were necropsied, and heart, liver, kidney, spleen, and intestine were submitted to histological investigation. Oleandrin detection was performed through ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in blood, serum, liver, heart, milk, and cheese samples. Severe depression, anorexia, ruminal atony, diarrhea, serous nasal discharge, tachycardia, and irregular heartbeat were the most common clinical signs. The first animal died within 48 h, and a total of 13 cows died in 4 days. Disseminated hyperemia and hemorrhages, multifocal coagulative necrosis of the cardiac muscle fibers, and severe and diffuse enteritis were suggestive of oleander poisoning. The diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of oleandrin in serum, liver, heart, milk, and cheese. Our results confirm the high toxicity of oleander in cattle and report for the first time the transfer into milk and dairy products, suggesting a potential risk for the consumers.
Subject
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis,Toxicology
Reference33 articles.
1. Morphological Studies on Experimental Oleander Poisoning in Cattle
2. Pretty but Poisonous: Plants Poisonous to People: An. Illustrated Guide for Australia;Shepherd,2004
3. Botanica Medica Farmaceutica e Veterinaria;Ceruti,1993
4. Oleander toxicity: an examination of human and animal toxic exposures
5. Detection of residues of cardenolides of Nerium oleander by high-performance thin-layer chromatography in autopsy samples;Praveen;Int. J. Med. Toxicol. Forensic Med.,2012
Cited by
22 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献