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Aeschynomene indica seeds cause a vestibulo-cerebellar syndrome in pigs. This experiment studied the toxicity of different plant chemical fractions in pigs to determine a susceptible laboratory species to search for the plant's toxic principle. Hexanic, ethanolic and acetonic extracts of A. indica seeds were administered to 1 pig each. The ethanolic extract killed the experimental pig and 2/4 mice and 0/4 rats. The ethanolic extract was fractionated into ethyl acetate, butanolic. and aqueous remaining residues. The residues were administered by gavage at 0.9 g/kg to groups of 6 mice; those dosed with the ethyl acetate residue developed nervous signs and died. Administrated to 4 pigs, the residue caused clinical signs and histologic lesions similar than those observed in experimental intoxication of swine with A. indica seeds. The active principle of these seeds was in the ethyl acetate residue and mice can be used as an experimental species to test toxicity of substances isolated from this plant.

The adverse effects of feeding Crotalaria pallida (CP) seeds to chicks was investigated in a 21-day randomized trial of 4 dietary treatments (control, 1,2 and 3% ground CP seeds). Mortality rates in birds fed 0, 1, 2, and 3% dietary CP were 0, 2.1, 6.2, and 16.7%, respectively. Body weight gain and feed efficiency were adversely affected by all levels of inclusion of CP seeds, but feed intake was decreased only by dietary levels of 2 and 3%. Dietary CP of 2 and 3% increased the relative weight of lung, heart and spleen. Relative liver weight was increased by 2% dietary CP, but decreased by 3% CP. At day 14, serum GGT was increased by 2 and 3% dietary CP; serum ALT was significantly increased by 3% CP. No differences in ALT, AST or GGT were observed at day 21. Dietary levels equal to or greater than 1% CP are toxic for growing broiler chicks.

Experimental pyrrolizidine alkaloid intoxication was produced in inbred Swiss mice. Animals were fed diets containing 0, 1, 3, 5, or 10% Heliotropium dolosum seed for 24 w. The seeds contained 0.13% total alkaloid concentration composed of 4 specific components: lasiocarpine (78.79%), heliosupine (11.96%), echimidine (5.43%), and heliotrine (3.82%). Deaths occurred in all dosed groups and increased with dietary seed concentration. Massive to submassive liver necrosis together with sinusoidal congestion, and hemorrhage or multifocal hepatocytic necrosis was limited to animals which survived < 5 w and were fed on 10% seed. Moderate to severe hepatomegalocytosis, scattered single cell necrosis, and mild subcapsuler fibrosis were seen in all test group animals that survived > 5 w. Intranuclear eosinophilic inclusions in hepatocytes and bile duct and ductular cell hyperplasia were the most noticeable lesions in the 1, 3, and 5% groups. There was mild to moderate renal tubular megalocytosis in the 3, 5, and 10% groups. It seems likely that H dolosum seed, at least to a limited extent, constitutes a health hazard for certain animal species.