Variation of the Main Alkaloid Content in Equisetum palustre L. in the Light of Its Ontogeny

Marsh horsetail ( L.) is one of the most poisonous plants of wet grasslands in the northern hemisphere, which poses a major health threat to livestock. Available data on the levels of its main alkaloids are currently contradictory due to the inadequate analytical methods and the wide variation in to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Toxins Vol. 12; no. 11; p. 710
Main Authors:	Müller, Jürgen, Puttich, Philipp Mario, Beuerle, Till
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Switzerland MDPI 09-11-2020 MDPI AG
Subjects:	forage toxicity livestock poisoning marsh horsetail palustridiene palustrine wet grassland management livestock poisoning forage toxicity marsh horsetail palustrine palustridiene wet grassland management
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Summary:	Marsh horsetail ( L.) is one of the most poisonous plants of wet grasslands in the northern hemisphere, which poses a major health threat to livestock. Available data on the levels of its main alkaloids are currently contradictory due to the inadequate analytical methods and the wide variation in toxicity levels reported. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the ontogenetic stage of plant development may explain a significant part of the variations in the main -type alkaloids. Two populations of marsh horsetail were sampled over two growing seasons. The plant material was classified according to their developmental stages and subsequently the main alkaloids were determined by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) analysis. ANOVA revealed significant effects of the ontogenetic stage but not the site on the main -type alkaloids (sum of palustrine and palustridiene) ranging from 213 to 994 mg/kg dry matter (DM). The highest alkaloid content was found in the stages of early development. Not the season itself, but the growth temperature co-influenced the alkaloid content. Our results help to resolve the seemingly contradictory information provided by previous studies on the toxicity of and are of practical relevance for the prevention of contamination risks in wet grassland use.
ISSN:	2072-6651 2072-6651
DOI:	10.3390/toxins12110710