There were no significant changes in hemogram, serum activities of AST, ALT, GGT, and ALP, or serum concentrations of total protein, urea, and creatinine.

Goat 5 was euthanized 8 days after the start of the experiment. At necropsy, the walls of the small and large intestines were distended with edema, and the intestinal content was liquefied. Peyer’s patches were enlarged and hyperemic. The mesenteric lymph nodes were enlarged and edematous; the medullary region was disorganized with low cellularity and presence of homogeneous eosinophilic material (protein) and macrophages with hemosiderin in the cytoplasm. Congestion of blood vessels and dilated lymphatic vessels were observed in the pre-stomachs, abomasum, and large Cobimetinib price and small intestines. Edema of the submucosa was also observed in the abomasum, and small and large LY294002 manufacturer intestines. Ileal Peyer’s patches showed disorganization with the deposition of protein material and the infiltration of macrophages and plasma cells. The diagnosis of poisoning by J. ribifolia was based

on epidemiological, clinical, and pathological findings and was confirmed by the experimental reproduction of the disease. In the outbreaks reported in this paper, poisoning by J. ribifolia revealed high morbidity (10–48%) and mortality (6–40%) rates in goats that were reared exclusively in the areas invaded by plant. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an outbreak of Jatropha spp. poisoning in livestock Y-27632 cost grazing standing and unprocessed Jatropha spp. Previous reports of Jatropha spp. poisoning in ruminants involved the ingestion of J. Curcas seeds by confined animals ( Völker, 1950; Torres and Fernandes, 1941), or the experimental administration of J. gossypiifolia leaves ( Oliveira et al., 2008), J. Curcas seeds ( Adam and Magzoub, 1975; Ahmed and Adam, 1979a and Ahmed and Adam, 1979b), and the fruits and leaves of Jatropha glauca and Jatropha aceroides ( Barri et al., 1983). J. curcas was also experimentally toxic to mice, rats and fish ( Ferreira et al., 2011; Becker and Makkar, 1998;

Panigrahi et al., 1984). The clinical signs and lesions that are caused by J. ribifolia primarily affects the digestive system and are similar to those observed in experiments with other species of Jatropha in ruminants ( Völker, 1950; Adam and Magzoub, 1975; Ahmed and Adam, 1979a; Barri et al., 1983; Oliveira et al., 2008; Ferreira et al., 2011). Nevertheless, histological lesions can be defined as slight and nonspecific. Curcin and phorbol esters are the two main substances that have been associated with the toxicity of Jatropha spp. ( Makkar et al., 1997; Barahona et al., 2010). Initially, the toxic effect of J. curcas was attributed to curcin. However, the products of J. curcas mineral oil extract, which are detoxified by heat and that are curcin-free, are also toxic, showing that the toxicity of Jatropha spp.