Nitrate and nitrite poisoning in sheep and goats caused by ingestion of Portulaca oleracea

Abstract

Three outbreaks of poisoning by Portulaca oleracea were reported in sheep and goats in Northeast Brazil. In the first outbreak, 8 out of 20 sheep were affected and later died. In the second outbreak, three goats and one sheep died out of a flock of 30 animals that included both species. In the third outbreak, two out of 19 sheep were affected, and they recovered after a treatment of 2% methylene blue at a dose of 4 mg/kg body weight. In the first and second outbreaks, the animals ingested P. oleracea after it was cut and offered in feeders. In the third outbreak, the flock was grazing in an area that had been invaded by the plant. To determine the toxicity, P. oleracea was administered experimentally at a dose of 80g/kg of body weight to seven sheep, weighing 19-30 kg. One control sheep received green grass. One to four hours after P. oleracea ingestion, the animals showed clinical signs of poisoning characterized by cyanotic mucous membranes, bloat, ruminal pH of 8-9, pollakiuria, aerophagia, involuntary movements of the upper lip, apathy, tachypnea and tachycardia. Five animals recovered, including one that was treated with 1% methylene blue, and two animals died. During necropsy, the mucous membranes were brownish, and the blood was dark brown. Diphenylamine tests of the plant and of rumen contents were positive for nitrates. Positive results for nitrates were also found in 24 samples of P. oleracea that were collected in different places in the states of Pernambuco and Paraíba. We conclude that P. oleracea accumulates nitrates at toxic levels and may cause poisoning in sheep and goats.