Cestrum axillare (Solanaceae) poisoning in ruminants.

Cestrum axillare poisoning causes significant economic losses in farms of ruminant production due to a fatal acute hepatic disease. The consumption of C. axillare occurs on farms or pastures with a scarcity of feed or with dry forage. Epidemiological, clinical, and pathological data of poisoning outbreaks by C. axillare from 1953 to 2021 in grazing ruminants in southeastern Brazil are reported. A total of 68 bovines, two buffaloes, and two goats exhibited clinical signs and resulted in death due to C. axillare consumption, with 79% of the cases occurring during the dry period. Clinical signs were apathy, anorexia, ruminal arrest, arched back, and constipation with hard stools, sometimes with blood or mucus. Cases with neurological signs due to hepatic encephalopathy showed excitement, aggressiveness, drooling, staggering, and muscle tremors. The pathological findings included hepatocellular necrosis in the liver and microcavitations in the brain's white matter (status spongiosus). The hepatotoxins, carboxyparquin and parquin, were detected in C. axillare leaf samples collected from paddocks grazed by cattle in three southeastern Brazilian municipalities where outbreaks of C. axillare poisoning occurred. This is the first report of parquin and carboxyparquin in C. axillare. [Display omitted] • Cestrum axillare is a cause of centrilobular hepatocellular necrosis in ruminants. • This is the first report of the hepatotoxins, carboxyparquin and parquin, in Cestrum axillare. • Spontaneous poisoning occurred in cattle, buffalo and goats, mainly in the Southeast region of Brazil. • 79% of the poisoning outbreaks occurred during the dry season, during which C. axillare supports green leaves. • To prevent severe losses, it is essential to plan for supplemental herd nutrition in ruminants during the dry season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]