Indian mustard
General poisoning notes:
Indian mustard (Brassica
juncea) is a naturalized herb found across much of Canada. This plant can
contain large quantities of toxins that are common to the genus Brassica.
Many of these compounds are being reduced through plant breeding. See the
comments under sections of Brassica oleracea, which include a discussion
of problems in relation to this genus.
Nomenclature:
Scientific Name: Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.
Vernacular
name(s): Indian mustard
Scientific family
name: Cruciferae
Vernacular family
name: mustard
Geographic Information
Alberta, British
Columbia, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan.
Toxic parts:
Leaves, seeds
Toxic plant chemicals:
glucosinolates
S-methyl-L-cysteine
sulfoxide (SMCO)
Chemical
diagram(s) are courtesy of Ruth McDiarmid, Biochemistry Technician, Kamloops
Range Station, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Kamploops, British Columbia,
Canada.
Animals/Human Poisoning:
Note: When an
animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993)
contained no detailed explanation.
Cattle
General symptoms of
poisoning:
Abortion,
death, dehydration, gait, staggering.
Notes on poisoning:
In one case in
Saskatchewan, a herd of cattle gained access to waste mustard seed. Six cows
died and two were ill. Symptoms included depression, staggering, and reluctance
to move. Several cows aborted, but most showed clinical signs of sickness.
Postmortem findings revealed profuse edema of the forestomachs and abomasum. A
2-3 cm layer of clear, yellowish, gelatinous fluid was present under the serosa
of the rumen, reticulum, and omasum. Allylisothiocyanate at a rate of 1000
mg/100 mL was liberated from the seeds. A rate of 250 mg/100 mL is regarded as
acutely toxic to cattle (Kernaleguen et al. 1989).
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