Recently Diagnosed Poisonous Plants in the Cariri Region, State of Paraiba, Brazil

摘要

The Cariri region is situated in the semiarid region of the state of Paraiba, Brazil. Its flora belongs to the caatinga biome, which is found only in the Brazilian semiarid (see Chapter 1 of this book). Several poisonous plants have been reported in ruminants and equidae in the region (Riet-Correa et al. 2006). This paper reports three previously unknown poisonous plants for ruminants and horses in the Cariri region. Diarrhea, increased intestinal movements, and depression were observed in goats during the dry season on a farm in the municipality of Boqueirao at the end of 2005. Fifty-six (10.2%) of a flock of 550 goats older than 1 year were affected. Six animals (1.1%) died; the others recovered in a period of 1-2 weeks after having been removed from the paddock. The pasture had low forage availability and large amounts of Arrabidae corallina (Bignoneaceae), which was the only green plant observed in the area. One adult goat was euthanized and necropsied. At necropsy the gut had liquid, fetid andblackish content, and catarrhal enteritis. Non-suppurative acute, diffuse, and moderate enteritis was observed histologically, with occasional presence of Eimeria spp. Non-significant macroscopic or histologic lesions were observed in other tissues. Thedisease was experimentally reproduced in four 6 to!2-month-old Moxoto goats. Two other goats were used as control.