Lantana camara poisoning,with special reference to cattle

May 16, 2020

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BY- ShraddhaAB Minz^1# and Nandani Kumari²

1.Shradda AB Minz, corresponding author, M.V.Sc .Student,Deptt.of Veterinary surgery,B.A.U. ,Mail i.d -shraddaminz@gmail.com

2. Nandani Kumari, Assistant professor cum junior scientist, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Ranchi veterinary college, B.A.U

Introduction–

Lantana Camara is species of flowering plant within the verbena family(verbenacae) ,native to the American tropic and is commonly called as yellow sage, wild sage or shrub verbena.Common name in other parts of India are putus in Bihar and Jharkhand, Aripu in Kannada, Raimuniya in hindi, Konkini in Malyalam and others.

This plant is native to central and South America.Later it was brought to Europe by Dutch explorers and from where it spreader throughout the Asia as invasive species.

In India,it was first brought by Portuguese in Goa as ornamental flowers which got spread as weed throughout the country.

Description of plants :-

Lantana camara is small perennial shrub reaching maximum height of 2 meter.Flowers are tubular shaped with each flower having four petals that are arranged in clusters showing cymose inflorescence.Flower colour may vary from red to yellow,white,pink and orange,depending upon location in inflorescence,age and maturity.Leaves are ovate,broad,opposite and simple with strong odour.Fruits are berry like drupe which are green when unripe turns to dark purple or black after ripening.

Type-Although all lantana are poisonous, red flowered varieties are thought to be the most toxic but some white and pink flowered varieties can also be highly toxic.

Host- species affected by lantana poisoning includes cattle, sheep, goats, guinea pigs and rabbits. In children the symptoms of lanta poisoning are different

Toxicity in dogs- Lantana is toxic to dogs and cats as well. These are liver toxins and they are found in all parts of the plant. Animals that are familiar with the plant often avoid it because of its pungent smell, but a pup new to smell or taste might end up eating it. Symptoms appear one to two days after ingestion of a toxic dose, which is equivalent to 1 percent or more of the animal’s body weight (https://dogcare.dailypuppy.com/lantanas-toxicity-dogs-5557.html). Common symptoms include jaundice, constipation and loss of appetite, Lethargy, weakness and diarrhea. In majority of cases, lantana poisoning can be treated by proper medical intervention but if the treatment is delayed, it might lead to death within two to three weeks.

Toxicity :-

Though ripen fruits are consumed by variety of birds.L.camara is known to be toxic to live

stock (cattle ,sheep,horses ,dogs ,goats).Active substance known to cause the toxicity in grazing animals is pentacyclictriterpenoids causing liver damage and photosensitivity.

Green unripe fruits of the plant are toxic to human (O.P Sharma,RajinderK.Darura, published in toxicon)

However,ripen fruits are edible and non toxic according to other survey and studies conducted.

Hepatotoxicity caused by Lantana :-

The unripe fruit of lantana causes hepatotoxicity. The hepatotoxicity arepentacyclic

triterpenoids called Lantadenes.The allelochemicals been identified as phenolic with umbelliferone ,methylcoumarin and salicylic acid being the most phytotoxin.In recent studies ,it was noticed that addition to phenolic groups present in lantanacamara ,Lantadene A and B are the most potent allelochemical.Another research conducted by Gopinath C and Ford E.J.H(Journal of pathology), after two consecutive days of feeding L.camara to sheep as single dose of 10 gram of dried L.camara leaves per body weight ,jaundice and photosensitivity was observed.The periportal hepatic cells became swollen and vacuolated ,their particulate staining and glycogen content were reduced . The activity of non specifiedesterace and sorbitol,succinc and glutamic dehydrogenase throughout the hepato lobule and specially periportal cells was reduced . There was rise in concentration of bilirubin and phylloerythrin and in the activity of sorbitol dehydrogenase,arginase and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase in serum. There was also reduction in Bromosulphateinclearance .But the activity of glutamic Peruvian transaminase and of glutamic dehydrogenase in serum is not altered.But when the same amount of dry L.camara leaves were fed in divided dose for five consecutive days rather than two,there was slight histological and histochemical changes with no release of enzymes into serum and no retention of bilirubin or phylloerythrin .

According to Sharma et.al.(1981), lantana poisoning in cattle, sheep, buffalo, and guinea pigs caused obstructive jaundice, photosensitization, and rise in serum glutamicoxaloaetic transaminase activity. He further found out that the symptoms could be reproduced in sheep by administration of purified Lantadene A. Liver and kidneys are the most affected organs during lantana poisoning. Intoxication of guinea pigs with Lantana camara leads to marked alterations in major tissue constituents in liver and kidneys.

Symptoms –

1) Excessive skin sensitivity to sun

2) Hepatotoxicity leadings to liver damage .

3)Jaundice,yellow discolouration of visible mucous ,white portion of eye ,skin and muzzle . 4) Reddening and inflammation of non pigmented skin portion .

5) Swelling of ears and eyelids with discharge form eyes

6) In chronic case ulcer may develop and bacterial invasion may lead to sloughing of skin surface

7)Animal avoid sun and stops feeding appear sluggish and dehydrated .

8) Diarrhoea with strong smell and black colour faeces.

9) death may occur from 2 days in severely poisoned cattle to 1-3 weeks in less severely affected cattle

Treatment-Rx includes moving the animal in shaded area,intravenous fluid therapy. Treatment of skin should be done with antibiotics and epicutaneous emulsion may be applied .

In acute cases administration with 3kg of activated charcoals in 20 litres of electrolyte solution and 500 gram to 1 kg in 4 litres for sheep and goat reduces the toxicity.Bentonite can be used as substitute of charcoal or when second and third time administration is required .

Note- Activated charcoal is an effective poisoning antidote. A second dose may be required 24 hours after the first if the animal has not improved.

Prevention from lantana poisoning- we should keep our grazing area or the garden and farm lantana free. We need to remember that all the varieties of lantana are toxic and should keep our cattle specially the new or young ones free from the area with lantana plant. If we doubt the animals to have ingested lantana with symptoms of lantana poisoning, we should consult a veterinarian immediately.

References-

1.https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/64238/IPA-Lantana-Poison-

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