DISTRIBUTION:
• Agriculturally cultivated in five areas, namely Mpumalanga, Northern Province, Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Northwest.
• It is grown under irrigation as well as dry land conditions.
BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION:
General: Cotton is a perennial, herbaceous shrub, 0,5 - 1 m tall,
Flowers: It has white to yellow flowers, which develop into smooth fruits that split open if mature.
Seeds: The fibrous hairs on the seeds, 1-6 cm long, consist mainly of cellulose.
TOXIC PRINCIPLE:
Seeds have hard lignin-like cortex and white kernel with small spherical or ovoid pigment glands (yellow to purple), which contain 15 or more pigments of which the predominant one is gossypol. Endotheliotoxic:• Uncouples oxidative phosphorylation.• Causes loss of appetite and loss of weight.
Most common effect cardiac irregularity - death due to circulatory failure.
SYSTEMS AFFECTED:
Cardiovascular system.
• Weakness, dyspnoea.
• Emaciated, stunted, pot-bellied animals.
Poultry - results in green discolouration of outer layer of yolk and pink whites.
Men - decreased spermatogenesis and decreased sperm motility.
SUSCEPTIBILITY:
• Pigs and pre-ruminants are affected
• Monogastric animals are most susceptible and adult ruminants are least susceptible.
• Ruminats are least susceptible as gossypol forms complexes with protein in the rumen, rendering gossypol non-toxic.
NECROPSY:
• Heart affected - degeneration of myocardium, thus dilatation and enlargement of heart may be seen.
• Generalised oedema: pulmonary oedema and foam in trachea, hydropericardium, ascites,subcutaneous oedema.
• Cyanotic induration of liver.
TREATMENT:
• Vit A (anti-Vit A effect seen in cattle).
• Vit B Co injection, non-ruminants especially.
• High protein diet to bind gossypol in rumen.
