Tobacco- Nicotiana tabacum Linn.-Poisonous plants (Anabasine, anatabine)

Tobacco

General poisoning notes:

Tobacco (Nicotiana tobacum Linn.) is cultivated in some areas of Canada as a commercial crop for the tobacco industry. Teratogenic problems have occurred in the United States when pregnant swine were allowed to forage on tobacco stalks. The sows showed no toxic signs. Pregnant swine should be denied access to tobacco plants. Rare cases of human dermatitis from contact with tobacco leaves have been reported (Bush and Crowe 1989, Gonçalo et al. 1990).

Description:

Herbs viscid, annual or short-lived perennial, 0.7-2 m tall, glandular hairy overall. Leaves decurrent, winging stems; leaf blade ovate to elliptic or lanceolate, 30(-70) × 8-15(-30) cm, membranous, glandular hairy, base narrowed, nearly half clasping, apex acuminate. Inflorescences many-flowered, much-branched panicles. Pedicel 0.5-2 cm. Calyx tubular or tubular-campanulate, 2-2.5 cm; lobes deltate, acuminate, unequal. Corolla yellowish at base, yellowish, greenish, red, or pink distally, funnelform, 3.5-5 cm; limb 1-1.5 cm in diam., with acute unequal lobes. Stamens unequal, sometimes partly exserted. Capsules ellipsoid or ovoid. Seeds brown, rounded, ca. 0.5 mm in diam. Fl. summer, fr. autumn.

Nomenclature:

Scientific Name: Nicotiana tabacum Linn.

Synonym: Nicotiana chinensis Fischer ex Lehmann.

Other names: American tobacco, Nicotania tabacum, Nicotiana tabacum L, Nicotiana tabacum var. Samsun, tobacco

Vernacular name(s): tobacco

Scientific family name: Solanaceae

Vernacular family name: nightshade

Geographic Information

Plant or plant parts used in or around the home.

Notes on Poisonous plant parts:

The left-over stalks of tobacco plants that remain in the field have caused teratogenic problems. Problems are related to high-yield tobacco crops where heavy fertilization produces yields of dry leaf that exceed 1300 kg/0.40 ha. Experimental feeding of aqueous filtrate of the leaves and juice of tobacco stalks has also caused teratogenic problems in swine (Crowe and Swerczek 1974).

Toxic parts:

Leaves, stems.

Notes on Toxic plant chemicals:

Pyridine alkaloids such as anabasine, anatabine, and perhaps anabasine, are responsible for teratogenic problems in swine. Anabasine is the major alkaloid of related Nicotiana glauca, in the southern United States, and it has caused teratogenic problems in calves, sheep, and swine. However, anabasine is found in much smaller quantities in tobacco. Anatabine and perhaps anabaseine are therefore believed to be involved in the teratogenic effects on swine (Bush and Crowe 1989).

Toxic plant chemicals:

Anabasine, anatabine.

Animals/Human Poisoning:

Note: When an animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993) contained no detailed explanation.

Humans

General symptoms of poisoning:

Eczema.

Swine

General symptoms of poisoning:

Arthrogryposis.

Notes on poisoning:

Pregnant sows that ingested tobacco stalks between day 10 and day 50 of gestation developed arthrogryposis, often involving all limbs of the pigs. Occasionally, vertebral column arching has occurred (Crowe 1969, Crowe and Swerczek 1974, Bush and Crowe 1989).