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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Logan, Utah » Poisonous Plant Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #302960
Title: Detection of toxic monofluoroacetate in Palicourea species

Author
item Cook, Daniel
item Lee, Stephen
item TAYLOR, CHARLOTTE - Missouri Botanical Garden
item BASSUNER, BURGUND - Missouri Botanical Garden
item RIET-CORREA, FRANKLIN - Veterinary Hospital, Federal University Of Campina Grande (UFCG)
item Pfister, James
item Gardner, Dale

Submitted to: Toxicon
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/30/2013
Publication Date: 3/15/2014
Citation: Cook, D., Lee, S.T., Taylor, C.M., Bassuner, B., Riet-Correa, F., Pfister, J.A., Gardner, D.R. 2014. Detection of toxic monofluoroacetate in Palicourea species. Toxicon. 80:9-16.

Interpretive Summary: Numerous plant species worldwide cause sudden death and are known to contain monofluoroacetate (MFA). Two species of Palicourea, P. aenofusca and P. marcgravii, cause sudden death and are reported to contain MFA while other Palicourea species are reported to cause sudden death in livestock and are suspected to contain MFA due to the similarity in clinical signs. Using an HPLC-APCI-MS method to detect MFA, herbarium specimens representing 46 Palicourea taxa were screened for the presence of MFA. Additionally we screened five Psychotria taxa that are closely related to Palicourea species. Ten species of Palicourea were identified that contained MFA, two previously reported and eight newly reported here; these are closely related to each other, though some other related species did not contain MFA.

Technical Abstract: Numerous plant species worldwide including some Palicourea (Rubiaceae), Tanaecium (Bignoniaceae), and Amorimia (Malpighiaceae) species in Brazil cause sudden death and are known to contain monofluoroacetate (MFA). Two species of Palicourea, P. aenofusca and P. marcgravii, cause sudden death and are reported to contain MFA while other Palicourea species are reported to cause sudden death in livestock and are suspected to contain MFA due to the similarity in clinical signs. Using an HPLC-APCI-MS method to detect MFA, herbarium specimens representing 46 Palicourea taxa were screened for the presence of MFA. Additionally we screened five Psychotria taxa that are closely related to Palicourea species. Ten species of Palicourea were identified that contained MFA, two previously reported and eight newly reported here; these are closely related to each other, though some other related species did not contain MFA.