May-apple-Podophyllum peltatum L.-Poisonous plant

May-apple

General poisoning notes:

May-apple (Podophyllum peltatum) is a native herb of moist woods in parts of southeastern Canada. May-apple extracts have been used in folk medicine and pharmaceuticals. Misuse has caused toxic reactions and even fatalities. Workers in the extraction process have developed dermatitis. Ingesting the ripe fruit may, at worst, cause catharsis. Cattle, sheep, and swine have been poisoned after ingesting may-apple vegetation (McIntosh 1928, Rosenstein et al. 1976).

Nomenclature:

Scientific Name: Podophyllum peltatum L.

Vernacular name(s): May-apple

Scientific family name: Berberidaceae

Vernacular family name: barberry

Geographic Information

Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec.

Notes on Poisonous plant parts:

All parts of the plant contain toxic chemicals, although the fruit may cause only slight catharsis. alpha- and beta-peltatin are found in the rhizomes (Rosenstein et al. 1976, Lampe and McCann 1986).

Toxic parts:

All parts, leaves, stems.

Notes on Toxic plant chemicals:

The purgative podophylloresin, the glucoside of podophyllotoxin, and alpha- and beta-peltatin produce toxic reactions in animals. The LD₅₀ of podophyllotoxin, administered orally to mice, is 90 mg/kg (Rosenstein et al. 1976, Lampe and McCann 1986).

Toxic plant chemicals:

alpha- and beta- peltatin, podophylloresin.

Animals/Human Poisoning:

Note: When an animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993) contained no detailed explanation.

Cattle

General symptoms of poisoning:

Agitation, lacrimation, severe, pupil dilation, salivation.

Notes on poisoning:

A cow in Ontario experienced toxic symptoms after ingesting may-apple. The symptoms included salivation, moaning, excitation, swollen eyes and muzzle, lacrimation, pupil dilation, and congestion of all visible mucous membranes (McIntosh 1928).

Humans

General symptoms of poisoning:

Catharsis, coma, confusion, conjunctivitis, death, erythema, gastroenteritis, vomiting.

Notes on poisoning:

In humans most cases of poisoning from May-apple have resulted from the use or handling of the pharmaceutical extracts from the plant. Because of its irritant qualities, may-apple has been used topically to remove papilloma and warts. It has also been used as an abortifacient, as shown experimentally with mice and rabbits. The use of these extracts as a laxative in pregnancy has been discouraged. The extracts have been shown to have an antimititic capacity. In a case of suicide, a man ingested a bottle containing 10-11 g of podophyllum extract. Initially he experienced few symptoms, but after 10 h the patient became confused and comatose; respiration was assisted and the man died after 39 h (Rosenstein et al. 1976, Cassidy et al. 1982)..

Swine

General symptoms of poisoning:

Death.

Notes on poisoning:

Deaths were reported after few symptoms in swine that ingested young shoots of May-apple (Kingsbury 1964).