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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #219170
Title: Toxic hepatopathy in sheep associated with the ingestion of the legume Tephrosia cinerea

Author
item SANTOS, JULIO - UNIV.FED.CAMP.GR.BRAZIL
item RIET-CORREA, FRANKLIN - UNIV.FED.CAMP.GR.BRAZIL
item DANTAS, ANTONIO - UNIV.FED.CAMP.GR.BRAZIL
item BARROS, SEVERO - UNIV.FED.CAMP.GR.BRAZIL
item Molyneux, Russell
item MEDEIROS, ROSANE - UNIV.FED.CAMP.GR.BRAZIL
item DA SILVA, DURVAL - UNIV.FED.CAMP.GR.BRAZIL
item DE OLIVEIRA, ODACI - UNIV.FED.CAMP.GR.BRAZIL

Submitted to: Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/3/2007
Publication Date: 11/15/2007
Citation: Santos, J.C., Riet-Correa, F.S., Dantas, A.F., Barros, S.S., Molyneux, R.J., Medeiros, R.M., Da Silva, D.M., De Oliveira, O.F. 2007.Toxic hepatopathy in sheep associated with the ingestion of the legume Tephrosia cinerea. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation.19(6):690-694.

Interpretive Summary: This article describes poisoning of sheep in Brazil by a plant belonging to the pea family. It also occurs in the southern United States where it is known as ashen hoarypea. In Brazil, sheep consuming the plant accumulate large amounts of fluid in the stomach and the disease is known as "water belly". Animals die weeks or months after the signs of poisoning appear and the main organ affected appears to be the liver. The toxin has not been identified. Occurrence of the plant in the United States suggests that poisoning could potentially occur if animals have access to sufficient quantities of the plant.

Technical Abstract: A disease known as water belly (barriga d’agua), characterized by chronic progressive ascites, affects sheep in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil. The objectives of this investigation were to study the disease and to determine its cause. Only sheep grazing for long periods in pastures where Tephrosia cinerea represents 80% to 100% of the available forage are affected. Most animals die after a clinical manifestation period of some weeks or months, but others recover when they are withdrawn from the pastures or after the first rains. At necropsy, large amounts of liquid were found in the abdominal cavity, and the liver was hard, with an irregular surface. On histology examination, the main liver lesion was chronic periportal and subcapsular fibrosis with bridging. The disease was produced experimentally in 1 sheep by the administration of large amounts of T. cinerea for 232 days. Another sheep, recovered from the spontaneous disease, had clinical signs after the ingestion of large amounts of the plant for 40 days. Seeds and leaves of the plant were examined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids with negative results. It is concluded that the disease is caused by the ingestion of T. cinerea.