ABSTRACT:
Poincianella pyramidalis (catingueira) is a toxic plant associated with abortions, embryonic losses and malformations in goats and laboratory animals. Outbreaks and sporadic cases of spontaneous intoxication in sheep have been reported in the last five years in the agreste of Pernambuco. Due to the occurrence of these spontaneous cases and the lack of researches in sheep, an experimental study was carried out to evaluate the teratogenic effects of P. pyramidalis on sheep. In the experiment, 16 female and three male sheeps, mixed breed, were used. Females were divided in four groups, with four animals per group and maintained in individual stalls, underwent estrus synchronization and mating by natural mating and after 30 days the diagnosis was made to confirm gestation. Groups were named group 1 (G1), group 2 (G2), group 3 (G3), and group 4 (G4). In G1 (control) the ewes were fed with 1% of concentrate supplementation (CS) based on live weight (LW) and 2% of maize silage (MS) with a daily intake of 3% dry matter (DM) based on LW. In G2 feeding was constituted of 1% of CS based on LW and 2% of forage, including 2% of roughage, 50% was hay of P. pyramidalis and the other 50% of DM. In G3 feed was constituted of 1% of CS based on LW and 2% of roughage. Among these 2% of roughage, 80% was hay of P. pyramidalis and the other 20% of DM. In G4 the sheep were fed with 1% CS based on the LW and the roughage consisting of 100% P. pyramidalis hay. All groups received CS with corn meal, cottonseed meal, mineral salt specific for sheep and water ad libitum. Animals were monthly submitted to ultrasonography to detect embryonic or fetal losses. Serological tests were performed for Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii before introduction of the animals in the experiment. Fetuses with malformations were evaluated in the Laboratory of Animal Anatomy and Pathology of the Academic Unit of Garanhuns (UAG), UFRPE, to describe the lesions. In G2, there were five cases of malformations of eight born lambs. In G3, there were four cases of malformation, one due to abortion. In G4, one sheep aborted and the other three gave birth to four malformed fetuses. Main malformations found in the study were arthrogryposis, palatoschisis, chylosquisis, hypoplasia of the mandible, aplasia of the incisive bone, malformations of the eye and tongue, polidactyly and monodactyly. In the groups with higher doses, larger numbers of malformations were observed, and the occurrence of placental retention and the high frequency of perinatal mortality in lambs presenting some type of malformation were noted. It has been demonstrated that P. pyramidalis is an important cause of congenital malformation, abortion and perinatal mortality in sheep, therefore keeping pregnant sheep away from this plant throughout the gestation period is utmost important.
INDEX TERMS:
Malformation; abortion; Poincianella pyramidalis; catingueira; ewes; sheep
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