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. 2020 Mar 5;87(1):e1-e4.
doi: 10.4102/ojvr.v87i1.1712.

Failure of diplodiatoxin to induce diplodiosis in juvenile goats

Christo J Botha  1 , Louis G J Ackerman, Mxolisi G Masango, Luke F Arnot
Affiliations

Failure of diplodiatoxin to induce diplodiosis in juvenile goats

Christo J Botha et al. Onderstepoort J Vet Res. .

Abstract

Diplodiosis is an important neuromycotoxicosis of ruminants in South Africa when grazing on harvested maize fields in winter. It is believed to be caused by mycotoxin(s) synthesised by Stenocarpella (Diplodia) maydis. Although several metabolites have been isolated from S. maydis culture material, none of these have been administered to ruminants to reproduce the disease. The objectives of this study were to isolate diplodiatoxin and to administer it to juvenile goats. Diplodiatoxin, considered as a major metabolite, was purified from S. maydis-infected maize cultures (Coligny 2007 isolate). Following intravenous administration of 2 mg and 4 mg diplodiatoxin/kg body weight for five consecutive days to two juvenile goats, no clinical signs reminiscent of diplodiosis were observed. Based on previous experimental results and if diplodiatoxin was the causative compound, the dosage regimen employed was seemingly appropriate to induce diplodiosis. In addition, intraruminal administration of 2 mg/kg diplodiatoxin to one goat for three consecutive days also did not induce clinical signs. It appears as if diplodiatoxin alone is not the causative compound. Other metabolites and/or mixtures of diplodiatoxin and other mycotoxins, when available in sufficient quantities, should also be evaluated.

Keywords: Stenocarpella maydis; diplodiatoxin; diplodiosis; mycotoxin; neuromycotoxicosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The chemical structure of diplodiatoxin purified from Stenocarpella maydis-infected maize culture material.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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