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. 2022 Jul 26;14(8):512.
doi: 10.3390/toxins14080512.

Acer pseudoplatanus: A Potential Risk of Poisoning for Several Herbivore Species

Benoît Renaud  1 , Caroline-Julia Kruse  2 , Anne-Christine François  1 , Lisa Grund  3 , Carolin Bunert  4 , Lucie Brisson  5 , François Boemer  6 , Gilbert Gault  7 , Barbara Ghislain  8 , Thierry Petitjean  9 , Pascal Gustin  1 , Dominique-Marie Votion  1
Affiliations

Acer pseudoplatanus: A Potential Risk of Poisoning for Several Herbivore Species

Benoît Renaud et al. Toxins (Basel). .

Abstract

Acer pseudoplatanus is a worldwide-distributed tree which contains toxins, among them hypoglycin A (HGA). This toxin is known to be responsible for poisoning in various species, including humans, equids, Père David's deer and two-humped camels. We hypothesized that any herbivore pasturing with A. pseudoplatanus in their vicinity may be at risk for HGA poisoning. To test this hypothesis, we surveyed the HGA exposure from A. pseudoplatanus in species not yet described as being at risk. Animals in zoological parks were the major focus, as they are at high probability to be exposed to A. pseudoplatanus in enclosures. We also searched for a toxic metabolite of HGA (i.e., methylenecyclopropylacetyl-carnitine; MCPA-carnitine) in blood and an alteration of the acylcarnitines profile in HGA-positive animals to document the potential risk of declaring clinical signs. We describe for the first instance cases of HGA poisoning in Bovidae. Two gnus (Connochaetes taurinus taurinus) exposed to A. pseudoplatanus in their enclosure presented severe clinical signs, serum HGA and MCPA-carnitine and a marked modification of the acylcarnitines profile. In this study, even though all herbivores were exposed to A. pseudoplatanus, proximal fermenters species seemed less susceptible to HGA poisoning. Therefore, a ruminal transformation of HGA is hypothesized. Additionally, we suggest a gradual alteration of the fatty acid metabolism in case of HGA poisoning and thus the existence of subclinical cases.

Keywords: equine atypical myopathy; gnus; hypoglycin A; methylenecyclopropylacetyl-carnitine; poisoning; ruminants; sycamore maple; toxin; zoo.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Partial least squares projection of the acylcarnitines profile comparing animals depending on serum hypoglycin A (HGA) and methylenecyclopropylacetyl conjugated with carnitine (MCPA-carnitine) status.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Partial least squares projection of the acylcarnitines profile comparing diseased animals versus apparently healthy ones.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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