Experimental poisoning by the fruits of Solanum aculeatissimum in cattle

Abstract

Mature yellow and immature green fruits of Solanum aculeatissimum Jacq., were administered orally to 41 bovines. The amounts given varied from 4.0 to 14.2 g/kg of body weight for the yellow fruits, and from 2.1 to 16.2 g/kg for the green fruits. The smallest amounts that caused symptoms of poisoning were 4.0 for the yellow and 4.9 g/kg for the green fruits and the greatest amounts that did not cause symptoms of poisoning were 10 and 13.3 g/kg, for the yellow and the green fruits respectively. The three bovines that died bad eaten 7.5, 8.7 and 10 g/kg of the yellow fruits. The symptoms of poisoning were the same for the yellow and the green fruits: labial, sublingual and submaxillary oedema, noisy respiration, unrest and bloat. All the symptoms appeared quickly, sometimes even during the administration of the fruits, and disappeared within hours. Post-mortem findings included, the oedema seen in the live animals, oedema of the glottis, oesophagus and forestomachs surrounding the oesophageal groove. Histopathological examination did not reveal any additional lesions. Information obtained from farmers and field observations made by the authors indicated that cattle do not eat the fruits spontaneously. It is thought that S. aculeatissimum does not cause poisoning of cattle under natural conditions.