Abstract
Waterpepper is a weed which grows on damp soil. especially near swamps, and in shallow water of ponds and ditches. It Is widespread throughout the country In abundant colonies. In the present experiments, possible toxic effects of waterpepper were investigated in ruminants. Pour cows were fed waterpepper ad libitum or by force in the from of green forage, hay and/or powder, 8 goats were administered in the form of methanol extract, and 4 goats, crude juice, into the lumen. Clinical signs were examined as well as urinalysis, hematology, serum chemical analysis, pH/blood gas analysis and chclinesterase activities following administration of waterpepper. Six goats which were administered the methanol extract or crude juice were sacrificed for pathological examinations., In addition to the clini copathological examinations, the chemical constituents of waterpepper were qualitively analyzed from the methanol extract and the Effects of the waterpepper crude juice were examined on the motility of rabbit duodenum and uterus. It is revealed that waterpepper contains steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids, tannin and essential oils in the methanol extract and nitrates in the crude juice. The crude juice of waterpepper relaxed the rabbit uterine and duodenal smooth muscles. The constraction of duodenum by acetylcholine or BaCl$_2$ were partially inhibited by pretreatment of the crude juice. However, the relaxation of duodenum by the crude juice was not blocked by the pretreatments of phenoxybenzamlne, propranolol, cocaine, reserpine and tetrodotoxin. The constituents of waterpepper to evoke elaxation of duodenal smooth muscle were stable to heat. The cows administered waterpepper showed common clinical symptoms such as acrid expression, restlessness, dullness, inappetence, anorexia, severe diarrhea, mild bloat and left displacement of abomasum, while bloody feces was shown in a cow. The goats administered the mothanol extract showed common clinical signs such as acrid expression, restlessness, dullness, inappetence and soft feces, while bloody feces was shown in a goat, A goat adminstered the crude juice showde bloody feces and diarrhea. Respiratory rates and heart beats were increased along with diarrhea in the experimental cows. The erythrocyte counts and MCHC were decreased whereas PCV, MCV and neutrophils were increased in the cows administered waterpepper. In goats administered methanol extract, there were decreases in erythrocytes, PCV and hemoglobin content, and an increase in MCHC. The goats ingester with the crude juice showed negligible changes in hematologic values compared with control group which was administered the same amount of water instead of the crude juice. The contents of serum calcium, Inorganic phosphorus, magnesium, Iron, glucose, cholesterol, total protein, triglycerides and phospholipids were tended to decrease in cows. In goats serum iron, glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, BUN and phospholipids content were decreased while the content of sodium and chloride were increased after administration of the methamol extract The goats ingested with the crude juice did not show significant changes in serum chemical analysis. Even though there were some pathological findings such as hyperemia in the small intestines and kidneys and swelling of liver parenchymal cells, the values of serum AST, ALT, LDH, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin and creatinine did not change significantly. While proteins, hemoglobin and blood were detected in the urine of cows, urine pH, ketone bodies, glucose, bilirubin and urobilinogen content were normal or undetected. There were no significant changes in pH/bolld gas analysis data of cows and cholinesterase activities of plasma and erythrocytes of cows and goats ingested with waterpepper or the methanol extract. It is concluded that waterpepper irritates the gatrointestinal system, causes abdominal pain, relaxes the gastrointestinal smooth muscle and dilatates blood vessels supplied to the system. The irritation and relaxation may lead to abnormal fermentation, maldigestion and malabsorption of nutrients and result in diarrhea, body feces, mild bloat and left displacement of abomasum.