Intoxicação por Tephrosia cinerea em ovinos.

Abstract

Hepatotoxic plants in Brazil can be placed in three main groups: plants causing acute liver necrosis; plants causing liver fibrosis; and plants causing hepatogenous photosensibilization. For some of these plants the toxic principles have already had been identified. Cestrum parqui and Xanthium cavanillesi that cause acute liver necrosis contain carboxyatractylosides. Senecio spp., Crotalaria spp., and Echium plantagineum, that cause liver fibrosis contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Of these plants causing hepatogenous photosensibilization, Myoporum spp. contain furanosesquiterpenes, Lantana spp. contain triterpenes, and Brachiaria spp. and Panicum spp contain steroidal saponins. The clinical and pathologic features of the intoxications caused by those plant-contained substances are reviewed as are the general mechanisms of production the clinical signs and methods for diagnosis of hepatic failure.