Red chokecherry- Prunus virginiana L.-Poisonous plant

Red chokecherry

General poisoning notes:

Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a native shrub or small tree found through most of Canada. Children have been poisoned and have died after ingesting large quantities of berries, which contain the seeds. All types of livestock can be poisoned by ingesting the plant material. Cattle and sheep have been poisoned by red chokecherry (Pardee 1847, Kingsbury 1964). Related species, including peach (Prunus persica) and apricot (Prunus armeniaca), have pits with enough toxin to cause poisoning and death in humans and animals.

Nomenclature:

Scientific Name: Prunus virginiana L.

Vernacular name(s): red chokecherry

Scientific family name: Rosaceae

Vernacular family name: rose

Geographic Information

Alberta, British Columbia, Labrador, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan.

Notes on Poisonous plant parts:

At all stages of growth, leaves of red chokecherry contained quantities of prunasin that were well above the minimum 1.4% level required for acute poisoning. Twigs also contained levels of prunasin at or above the level required to cause acute poisoning. Twigs developed more toxin during dry years. The prunasin level of buds and flowers was above the minimum level as well (Majak et al. 1981).

Toxic parts:

Leaves, seeds, twigs.

Notes on Toxic plant chemicals:

Two cyanogenetic glycosides, amygdalin and prunasin, are found in red chokecherry plant material. Levels of HCN at 143-243 mg have been found in 100 g of leaves. The higher amounts apply to wilted leaves. A lethal dose in cattle occurs after ingesting fresh leaves equivalent to about 0.25% of body weight (Kingsbury 1964, Cheek and Schull 1985).

Toxic plant chemicals:

Amygdalin

Prunasin

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:

Agitation, coma, convulsions, death by asphyxiation, dyspnea, gait, staggering.

Notes on poisoning:

Experimental work on cattle showed that fresh leaves consumed at a rate equivalent to 0.25% of an animal''s body weight constitute a lethal dose. Symptoms listed above are applicable to all types of animals. Postmortem findings usually show bright red blood and congested internal organs (Kingsbury 1964, Scimeca and Oehme 1985).

Humans

General symptoms of poisoning:

Abdominal pains, babinski reflex, coma, convulsions, cyanosis, death by asphyxiation, vomiting.

Notes on poisoning:

Ingesting large quantities of red chokecherry fruits, without removing the seeds, has caused illness and death in children. The onset of symptoms is usually sudden and includes abdominal pain, vomiting, convulsions, inability to speak, labored breathing, coma, and death from asphyxiation. The blood is initially bright red because cell respiration is interrupted (Pardee 1847, Kingsbury 1964).

Sheep

General symptoms of poisoning:

Coma, convulsions, death by asphyxiation, dyspnea, paralysis.

Notes on poisoning:

See additional information under cattle.