Susceptibility of Bovans chicks to low dietary levels of Ammi visnaga and Artemisia herba-alba.

Ammi visnaga seeds and Artemisia herba-alba shoots were fed to 7-d-old Bovans chicks at 2% and 10% of diet for 9 w. The 10% A visnaga seed was toxic but not lethal to chicks and caused a consistently reduced body weight gain, inefficient feed utilization, enterohepatonephropathy, anemia, and alterations of serum aspartate transaminase and creatine kinase activities and cholesterol, total lipid and uric acid concentrations. The depression in growth and damage to vital organs of chicks fed 10% A herba-alba shoots 2% A visnaga seed, or 2% A herba-alba shoots were less marked.

Effect of feeding Acacia abyssinica and of its extracts given by different routes on rats.

The effect of a diet consisting of 2% and 10% of Acacia abyssinica bark on Wistar rats treated for 6 weeks was examined. A 2% A. abyssinica diet was not toxic to rats. Impairment of growth and hepatonephropathy were observed in rats on a 10% A. abyssinica diet. By whatever route it was administered, either intraperitoneally (i.p.) or orally (p.o.), the ethyl acetate extract in daily doses of 500 mg/kg body weight was the most toxic and lethal to rats and caused hepatonephropathy, widespread hemorrhage and congestion and fibrinous peritonitis following i.p. administration. The aqueous and ethanol extracts i n similar doses to ethyl acetate extract were only lethal to rats when given via the i.p. route. Lesions were accompanied by anemia, leukopenia and alterations in serum AST activity and concentrations of urea, total protein and albumin.

Effects of malathion plus superphosphate or urea on Najdi sheep.

The effects of p.o. administration of the combination of malathion + superphosphate or urea on Najdi sheep were evaluated in sheep dosed as untreated controls, malathion-treated at 25 mg/kg/d, superphosphate-treated at 450 mg/kg/d, urea-treated at 450 mg/kg/d, malathion-treated at 25 mg/kg/d + superphosphate treated at 450 mg/kg/d, or malathion treated at 25 mg/kg/d + urea treated at 450 mg/kg/d. Oral doses of malathion alone were lethal after 6 d, and malathion + urea were fatal after 6-8 d. Malathion + superphosphate caused death after 2-3 d. Malathion, but not superphosphate or urea, inhibited serum cholinesterase activity. Hepatonephropathy correlated with changes in serum AST, ALP, cholesterol, triglyceride, bilirubin, urea, total protein and albumin. Neither malathion nor its combination with superphosphate or urea caused peripheral neuropathy.

Effect of combination of Capsicum frutescens and Citrullus colocynthis on growth, haematological and pathophysiological parameters of rats.

The toxicity of diet containing 10% of Capsicum frutescens or 10% of Citrullus colocynthis fruits or their 1:1 mixture (5% + 5%) to rats treated for 6 weeks was evaluated. Body weight loss, inefficiency of feed utilization, diarrhoea, and enterohepatonephropathy characterized C. colocynthis toxicosis in rats. Despite impairment of rat's growth neither nephropathy nor diarrhoea was detected in rats fed the 10% C. frutescens diet. Feeding the mixture of C. frutescens and C. colocynthis caused more pronounced effects and death of rats. Vital organ lesions accompanied by anaemia and leucopenia were correlated with changes in serum ALP, AST and ALT activities with alterations in concentrations of total protein, albumin, urea and other serum constituents. Serum bilirubin concentration did not change.

Toxicity of Nerium oleander and Rhazya stricta in Najdi sheep: hematologic and clinicopathologic alterations.

The toxic effects of oral administration of 0.25 g/kg Nerium oleander leaves, 0.25 g/kg Rhazya stricta leaves or their mixture at 0.25 g/kg N. oleander leaves plus 0.25 g/kg R. stricta leaves on Najdi sheep were investigated. Daily oral dosing of R. stricta leaves for 42 days was not fatal to sheep while single oral doses of either N. oleander leaves or the mixture with R. stricta leaves proved fatal to animals within 24 hours with dyspnea, grunting, salivation, grinding of the teeth, ruminal bloat, frequent urination, ataxia and recumbency prior to death. The main lesions were widespread congestion or hemorrhage, pulmonary cyanosis, emphysema, bronchotracheal froths, and hepatonephropathy. The clinical and pathological changes were correlated with alterations in serum LDH and AST activities and concentrations of cholesterol, bilirubin, urea, total protein, albumin, and globulin and hematological values.

Preliminary observations on experimental Ruta graveolens toxicosis in Nubian goats.

We present the first reported study of Ruta graveolens toxicity in 7-8-month-old Nubian goats. Oral administration of 5 g/kg bw per day of R. graveolens leaves caused tremor, dyspnoea, frequent urination, incoordination of movement, ataxia and recumbency, with death after 1-7 days. In goats receiving oral doses of 1 g/kg bw per day of the leaves, the course of toxicity was prolonged and the animals had pallor of the visible mucous membranes and loss in condition; one died on day 17, the others being slaughtered on days 41 and 46. The clinical effects were correlated with pathological changes in various organs, alterations in serum aspartate transaminase, creatine kinase, total protein, cholesterol, urea and other serum constituents, haematological values and the concentrations in the tissues of copper, iron, zinc, manganese, calcium and phosphorus.

Response of broiler chicks to dietary Rhazya stricta and Nigella sativa.

1. Rhazya stricta leaves and Nigella sativa seeds were fed to 7-d-old Hibro broiler chicks at 20 and 100 g/kg of the diet for 7 weeks. Although 20 and 100 g/kg N. sativa seed diets did not adversely affect growth, a decrease in body weight and feed efficiency and hepatonephropathy were observed in the chicks fed on the 100 g/kg R. stricta diet. 2. These changes, associated with macrocytic hypochromic anaemia, were correlated with alterations in serum aspartate transaminase' (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) activities and concentrations of total protein, albumin, globulin, cholesterol, calcium and other serum constituents. 3. The effect of 20 g/kg R. stricta diet on chicks was not associated with development of biliary hyperplasia or catarrhal enteritis after 7 weeks of treatment.

Effect of feeding Cuminum cyminum fruits, Thymus vulgaris leaves or their mixture to rats.

Cuminum cyminum fruits and T. vulgaris leaves were fed to male Wistar rats at 2% or 10% of standard diet for 6 w. A mixture (5% +5%) of the 2 plants was also fed to rats for a similar period. Diets containing 2% C. cyminum fruits, 2% or 10% T. vulgaris leaves were not toxic to rats. Impairment of growth and enterohepatonephropathy were observed in the rats fed a diet containing 10% C. cyminum fruits. These changes were also seen in the rats fed the mixture of the 2 plants and were accompanied by leukopenia, anemia and increases in serum AST activity and urea and by decreased total protein and albumin levels.

Toxicological interactions of Cassia senna and Nerium oleander in the diet of rats.

The toxic effects of diet containing 10% of C. senna L. fruits or 10% of N. oleander L. leaves or their 1:1 mixture (5% + 5%) on male Wistar rats treated for 6 weeks were investigated. Diarrhea was a prominent sign of C. senna L. toxicosis. In both phytotoxicities, there were decreases in body weight gains, inefficiency of feed utilization, dullness and enterohepatonephropathy. These findings accompanied by leukopenia and anemia were correlated with alterations of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities and concentrations of total protein, albumin, urea and other serum constituents. In both phytotoxicities, the ability of the liver to excrete bilirubin remained unchanged. Feeding the mixture of C. senna L. fruits and N. oleander L. leaves caused more serious effects and death of rats. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Response of Najdi sheep to oral administration of Citrullus colocynthis fruits, Nerium oleander leaves or their mixture.

Susceptibility of sheep to oral administration of Citrullus colocynthis fruits, Nerium oleander leaves or their mixture is described in 12 sheep assigned as untreated controls, C. colocynthis-treated at 0.25g/kg/day, N. oleander-treated at 0.25g/kg and plant mixture-treated at 0.25g of C. colocynthis/kg plus 0.25g of N. oleander/kg. The daily use of 0.25g of C. colocynthis/kg for 42 days was not fatal to sheep and caused slight diarrhoea, catarrhal enteritis, centrilobular hepatocellular fatty change and degeneration of the renal tubular cells. Single oral doses of 0.25g of N. oleander/kg were lethal to sheep within 18-24h and caused uneasiness, grinding of the teeth, dyspnoea, anorexia, frequent urination, ruminal bloat, ataxia and recumbency before death. The main lesions were widespread congestion and haemorrhage, pulmonary cyanosis and emphysema and severe hepatonephropathy. Rapid death was also observed in sheep receiving single doses of the mixture of the two plants. Effects were correlated with changes in the activities of serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate transaminase (AST) and concentrations of cholesterol, bilirubin, total protein, albumin, globulin and urea and haematological parameters.