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. 2016 Mar 16;21(3):348.
doi: 10.3390/molecules21030348.

Potential Health Risks Posed by Plant-Derived Cumulative Neurotoxic Bufadienolides in South Africa

Christo Botha  1
Affiliations

Potential Health Risks Posed by Plant-Derived Cumulative Neurotoxic Bufadienolides in South Africa

Christo Botha. Molecules. .

Abstract

Bufadienolide-type cardiac glycosides have a worldwide distribution and are mainly synthesized by plants, but there are also animal sources. In South Africa, members of three genera of the Crassulaceae (Cotyledon, Tylecodon and Kalanchoe) cause a unique chronic form of cardiac glycoside poisoning, predominantly in small stock. This paretic/paralytic condition is referred to as "krimpsiekte", cotyledonosis or "nenta". "Krimpsiekte" is a plant poisoning only reported from South Africa and is regarded as the most important plant poisoning of small stock in the semi-arid Little Karoo and southern fringes of the Great Karoo. The toxicosis is caused by cumulative bufadienolides which have neurotoxic properties. Four types of cumulative neurotoxic bufadienolides, namely cotyledoside, and the tyledosides, orbicusides and lanceotoxins, have been isolated. Based on the structure activity relationships and certain toxicokinetic parameters possible reasons for their accumulation are presented. Consumption of edible tissues from animals that have ingested these plants poses a potential risk to humans.

Keywords: Crassulaceae; cardiac glycosides; cotyledonosis; cumulative bufadienolides; human; risk; “krimpsiekte”.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declares no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The basic chemical structures of the aglycones of bufadienolides and cardenolides.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Bufadienolides isolated from poisonous members of the Crassulaceae in South Africa.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Bufadienolides isolated from poisonous members of the Crassulaceae in South Africa.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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