Congenital Deformities in Swine Induced by Wild Tree Tobacco, Nicotiana Glauca

Abstract

Eighty-four of 147 piglets from 20 purebred Hampshire gilts that were bred to purebred Hampshire boars and then fed Nicotiana glauca during various periods of gestation were congenital ly deformed. The deformities occurred in piglets from gilts on experiments in 3 separate years during which 4 different collections of the plant were fed. The deformities included various arthrogrypotic limb deviations and palate closure defects. Arthrogrypotic limbs had excessive flexure of pastern or carpal joints, medial rotation, or a combination of these effects. There were no gross visceral defects nor histopathologic changes in examined tissue. Expression of deformities varied as a function of gestation period. Palate closure defects, for example, occurred only in offspring from sows fed prior to gestation day 35. The limb deformities induced by N. glauca in piglets were similar to those reported by others and assumed, or known from feeding trials, to have been induced by maternal Nicotiana tabacum stalk ingestion. By contrast palate defects were not reported in piglets from maternal N. tabacum ingestion, but were of high incidence in the present work from maternal N. glauca ingestion. The suspect teratogen, anabasine, the principle pipendine alkaloid of N. glauca, varied in concentration among the collections fed. However dosages were maintained in each animal regardless of collection fed that resulted in daily toxicity signs indicative of anabasine toxicosis. The signs included depression, tremors, third eyelid closure, irregular gait and recumbency.