Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are one of the most significant groups of plant toxins in the world and are an important cause of poisoning in livestock, resulting in significant financial and production losses each year ...

Trace elements are involved in a variety of biochemical processes essential to life and are required in minute amounts. There are no data available on the use of handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry to determine ...

Cyanobacteria or blue green algae are known for their extensive and highly visible blooms in rivers or dams. One of the most important cyanobacteria is Microcystis aeruginosa which can synthesize various microcystins ...

The first recorded outbreak of nephrotoxicosis induced by the shrub Nolletia gariepina is reported. The outbreaks occurred in cattle in the Kalahari sandveld of South Africa. The toxicosis was experimentally reproduced, ...

Vermeersiekte or ‘vomiting disease’ is an economically important disease of ruminants following ingestion of Geigeria species in South Africa. Sheep are more susceptible and poisoning is characterised by stiffness, ...

The aim of this study was to investigate the mode of action of pavetamine on rat cardiomyocytes. Pavetamine is the causative agent of gousiekte (“quick-disease”), a disease of ruminants characterized by acute heart failure ...

Poisoning by Moraea pallida Bak. (yellow tulp) is the most important of all cardiac glycoside induced toxicoses which collectively account for 33% and 10% of deaths in large and small stock due to plant poisoning, respectively, ...

The role of plants in the treatment of disease and enhancement of production in animals in South African rural communities is poorly documented. Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) methods were employed to describe the use of ...