Is hemp () safe to feed pregnant sheep?

(varieties for industrial use or animal feed are termed hemp), and its extracted byproducts are being considered for animal feed due to their high protein content. However, if hemp disrupts fertility and reproduction in livestock, it should not be used as a feed source. We hypothesized that the phytocannabinoids in hemp would disrupt fertility and reproduction, cause craniofacial defects (cyclops, cleft palate, misshapen head), and low birth weight in lambs.

The actions of varenicline on alkaloids from Conium maculatum (poison hemlock), Lupinus sulphureus (sulphur lupine) and Nicotiana glauca (tree tobacco).

Evidence-based therapies to manage the clinical signs of intoxication caused by toxic plants in livestock are lacking. For that reason, the aim of this work was to develop a drug-based intervention for the management of clinical signs of piperidine alkaloid intoxication in livestock. The actions of anabasine, coniine, γ-coniceine, and two total alkaloid extracts from Lupinus sulphureus were compared in the presence and absence of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist varenicline in RD cells, mice and goats.

The evaluation of earwax as a noninvasive specimen to determine livestock exposure to death camas (Zigadenuspaniculatus).

Foothill death camas (Z. paniculatus) grows on the foothill ranges of western North America and is acutely toxic to livestock grazing these ranges. The toxic alkaloids in foothill death camas are zygadenine and a series of zygadenine esters, with zygacine, the 3-acetyl ester of zygadenine, being the most abundant.

The use of earwax to determine livestock exposure to teratogenic lupine.

Lupines (Lupinus spp.) are a common plant species on western U.S.

Acute death as a result of poisoning tropical (Bos taurus indicus) but not temperate (Bos taurus taurus) cattle after oral dosing with Lupinus leucophyllus (velvet lupine).

Due to climate change and increasing summer temperatures, tropical cattle may graze where temperate cattle have grazed, exposing tropical cattle to toxic plants they may be unfamiliar with. This work compared the toxicity of Lupinus leucophyllus (velvet lupine) in temperate and tropical cattle. Orally dosed velvet lupine in tropical cattle caused death.

Ruminant metabolism of zygacine, the major toxic alkaloid in foothill death camas (Zigadenuspaniculatus).

Death Camas (Zigadenus spp.) are common poisonous plants distributed throughout North America. The toxic alkaloids in foothill death camas are zygadenine and a series of zygadenine esters, with zygacine, the 3-acetyl ester of zygadenine, being the most abundant.

Identification of two death camas chemotypes within a population and evaluation of toxicity.

Foothill death camas (Zigadenus paniculatus) is a native, cool-season, bulbous perennial forb found throughout the western U.S. The toxins in death camas are steroidal alkaloids.

Mineral-salt supplementation to ameliorate larkspur poisoning in cattle.

Larkspurs (Delphinium spp.) are native forbs that are poisonous to cattle and cost livestock producers millions of dollars in losses each year. Macro and micro minerals are required for normal functioning of essentially all metabolic processes in ruminants.

Clinical, pathologic, and toxicologic characterization of (lance-leaf sage) poisoning in cattle fed contaminated hay.

(lance-leaf sage)-contaminated alfalfa hay was fed to ~500 mixed-breed beef cattle. Within hours of exposure, nearly half of the cattle developed lethargy, anorexia, depression, and recumbency, followed by bellowing, colic, and death. Even though the uneaten contaminated hay was removed the first day, nearly 100 animals died within the first 48 h.

Hepatotoxicity in Cattle Associated with Diterpenes, including 7-Hydroxyrhyacophiline, a New Seco-Clerodane Diterpene.

A case of baled alfalfa hay contaminated with multiple weeds induced hepatotoxicity and death in cattle. The hepatotoxic compounds were isolated by bioassay-guided fractionation using a mouse model and identified as salviarin, salvianduline D, rhyacophiline, and 7-hydroxyrhyacophiline. The structure of 7-hydroxyrhyacophiline has not been previously reported.

Diterpenoids from Gutierrezia sarothrae and G. microcephala: Chemical diversity, chemophenetics and implications to toxicity in grazing livestock.

Broom snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae) and threadleaf snakeweed (G. microcephala) are suffrutescent plants found in many parts of western US rangelands and are possibly toxic to grazing livestock. The toxic components are not known, but it has been suggested that the diterpene acids may be both toxic and abortifacient.

Analysis of rumen contents and ocular fluid for toxic alkaloids from goats and cows dosed larkspur (Delphinium barbeyi), lupine (Lupinus leucophyllus), and death camas (Zigadenus paniculatus).

Larkspurs, lupines, and death camas can be acutely toxic to livestock and are serious poisonous plant problems in western North America. The toxicity of these plants depends on the composition and concentrations of the toxic alkaloids in the plants. In this study, goats and cows were dosed sub-lethal doses of larkspur, lupine, and death camas.

Evaluation of noninvasive specimens to diagnose livestock exposure to toxic larkspur (Delphinium spp.).

Larkspurs (Delphinium spp.) are native perennial plants that have a serious toxic potential to cattle on foothill and mountain rangelands in the western United States. Livestock death due to larkspur toxicity is attributed to norditerpenoid alkaloids.

Genetic Relationships among Different Chemotypes of Lupinus sulphureus.

Lupines (Lupinus spp.) are a common plant legume species found on western U.S.

Effects of Elevated CO on the Swainsonine Chemotypes of Astragalus lentiginosus and Astragalus mollissimus.

Rapid changes in the Earth's atmosphere and climate associated with human activity can have significant impacts on agriculture including livestock production. CO concentration has risen from the industrial revolution to the current time, and is expected to continue to rise. Climatic changes alter physiological processes, growth, and development in numerous plant species, potentially changing concentrations of plant secondary compounds.

A swainsonine survey of North American Astragalus and Oxytropis taxa implicated as locoweeds.

Swainsonine, an indolizidine alkaloid with significant physiological activity, is an α-mannosidase and mannosidase II inhibitor that causes lysosomal storage disease and alters glycoprotein processing. Swainsonine is found in a number of plant species worldwide, and causes severe toxicosis in livestock grazing these plants, leading to a chronic wasting disease characterized by weight loss, depression, altered behavior, decreased libido, infertility, and death. Swainsonine has been detected in 19 Astragalus and 2 Oxytropis species in North America by thin layer chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and a jack bean α-mannosidase inhibition assay.

The Effect of Co-Administration of Death Camas (Zigadenus spp.) and Low Larkspur (Delphinium spp.) in Cattle.

In many rangeland settings, there is more than one potential poisonous plant. Two poisonous plants that are often found growing simultaneously in the same location in North American rangelands are death camas (Zigadenus spp.) and low larkspur (Delphinium spp.

The relative toxicity of Delphinium stachydeum in mice and cattle.

Larkspurs (Delphinium spp.) are poisonous plants on rangelands throughout the Western United States and Canada. Larkspur-induced poisoning in cattle is due to norditerpene alkaloids that are represented by two main structural groups of norditerpene alkaloids, the N-(methylsuccinimido) anthranoyllycoctonine type (MSAL-type) and the non-MSAL type.

A survey of tremetone, dehydrotremetone, and structurally related compounds in Isocoma spp. (goldenbush) in the southwestern United States.

Isocoma pluriflora, a plant prevalent on land used for livestock production and native to Arizona, New Mexico, West Texas, and Northern Mexico, is poisonous and causes trembles in livestock. Tremetone and dehydrotremetone have been suggested as the toxic compounds in I. pluriflora.