Embryonic death in goats caused by the ingestion of Mimosa tenuiflora

• Published in: Toxicon (Oxford) Vol. 59; no. 5; pp. 555 - 557
• Main Authors: Dantas, Antônio Flávio M., Riet-Correa, Franklin, Medeiros, Rosane M.T., Lopes, José Radmácyo, Gardner, Dale R., Panter, Kip, Mota, Rinaldo A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: abnormal development; Abnormalities, Drug-Induced - etiology; adults; Animal poisons toxicology. Antivenoms; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Embryo Loss - chemically induced; Embryology: invertebrates and vertebrates. Teratology; Embryonic death; embryonic mortality; Female; fetal death; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Goats; ingestion; Medical sciences; Mimosa - poisoning; Mimosa tenuiflora; Plant Poisoning; Pregnancy; Reproductive failure; Teratogenic plants; teratogenicity; Teratology. Teratogens; Toxicology; ultrasonography; Embryonic death; Teratogenic plants; Mimosa tenuiflora; Reproductive failure; Plant poisoning; Embryo; Oral administration; Mimosa; Ingestion; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Leguminosae; Dicotyledones; Animal; Angiospermae; Death; Spermatophyta; Goat; Poisoning; Artiodactyla; Teratogen; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0041-0101; 1879-3150
• DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2011.11.020

To determine the teratogenic effect of Mimosa tenuiflora, the green fresh plant was administered ad libitum to 12 goats (Group 1) from day 1 to day 30 of gestation. Upon ultrasonographic examination, on day 30, not one of these goats was pregnant, demonstrating that M. tenuiflora causes embryonic death. Six goats (Group 2) ingested M. tenuiflora from day 30 to day 60 of pregnancy. Four goats delivered seven healthy kids and two were not pregnant based on ultrasonographic examination on day 45 suggesting late embryonic death. Three other groups of six goats each received the plant on days 60–90 (Group 3), 90–120 (Group 4), and 120–150 (Group 5) of gestation and a control group (Group 6) all delivered normal kids, except one goat in Group 4 that aborted and one adult goat from Group 5 that was found dead. It is concluded that M. tenuiflora causes embryonic death. The failure to induce malformations might have resulted from a high dose of an unknown active principle of the plant causing fetal death.