Studies upon the photosensitisation of animals in South Africa X : the icterogenic factor in geeldikkop : isolation of active principles from Lippia rehmanni Pears

Abstract

In the seventh contribution to this series of articles dealing with photosensitisation, the naturally occurring disease of sheep, "Tnbalosis" or "Geel-dikkop" was more particularly considered and it was shown (Rimington and Quin 1934) that the condition of photosensitisation arises as a result of the presence of the chlorophyll derivative, phylloerythrin, in the blood of sheep, this pigment having entered the circulation with the bile. The plant Tribulus· presumably contains some toxic substance causing a well-marked icterus, the liver becoming incapable of eliminating bile and it is this hepatic disturbance which must be looked upon as fundamental to the development of the symptoms characteristic of the disease.