Poisoning by Atractylus gummifera L. Roots in Grazing Cattle of a Sicilian Farm

TL;DR

A study reports cattle poisoning from Atractylis gummifera L. roots in Sicily, detailing symptoms, treatment, and recovery.

Contribution

This paper provides a detailed case study of cattle poisoned by Atractylis gummifera L. roots in a Sicilian farm setting.

Findings

Poisoned cattle showed gastrointestinal, hepatic, and renal symptoms.

Symptomatic drug therapy helped recovery with normalization of liver and kidney parameters.

Necropsy and hematological analyses confirmed poisoning effects.

Abstract

Atractylis gummifera L. is a perennial herbaceous plant, thorny and fragrant, with a flexible rhizome and tap root, that is present in Mediterranean countries and in the regions of southern Italy. Every year, it is responsible for serious and often fatal poisonings in humans and also in animals due to poor toxicological knowledge, the rapid evolution of intoxication, and related clinical/diagnostic difficulties. Actually, few data are present in the literature on animal poisoning due to this plant. This investigation reports the poisoning of grazing cattle by the ingestion of Atractylis gummifera L. roots present in a recently plowed pasture of a Sicilian farm. In particular, the symptoms (especially gastro-intestinal, hepatic and renal), the course of poisoning (hyperacute–acute), necroscopy investigations, and hematological analyses are described. This study, therefore, could be useful for farm veterinarians regarding the diagnosis of Astractylus gummifera L. root poisoning in cattle.

Background: In farm animals, the main poisonings are due to the ingestion of toxic plants present in pastures, but their incidence is underestimated, even though they are responsible for serious damage to animal health and livestock production. Atractylis gummifera L. is a plant widespread in Mediterranean countries and in southern Italy that is responsible for serious and often fatal poisonings in both humans and animals. This investigation reports grazing cattle poisoning due to the ingestion of Atractylis gummifera L. roots present in a recently plowed pasture of a Sicilian farm. Methods: The investigation describes the clinical symptoms of poisoned cattle, especially the gastro-intestinal type, the alterations in liver and renal function, the course of poisoning (hyperacute–acute), and the necropsy examination of dead animals. In the surviving cattle, symptomatic drug therapy was administered, and hematological and biochemical analyses (blood, liver, and kidney profiles) were carried out during treatment. Results: The pharmacological therapy, although symptomatic, contributed to the recovery of the intoxicated cattle with a return to normal values of liver and kidney parameters and electrolyte profile 30–40 days after treatment. Conclusions: This investigation could be useful to veterinarians for the diagnosis of Astractylus gummifera L. root poisoning in cattle, which is also responsible for the death of some intoxicated animals, with a negative impact on livestock.

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