Comparative toxicity of coniine, an alkaloid of Conium maculatum (poison hemlock), in chickens, quails, and turkeys

Avian Dis. 1990 Apr-Jun;34(2):433-7.

Abstract

Coniine, an alkaloid of Conium maculatum (poison hemlock), was administered by gavage to immature chickens, quails, and turkeys at 0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg body weight. At 25 mg coniine/kg body weight, clinical signs were observed only in quails (2/10) and consisted of excitement, depression, hypermetria, seizures, opisthotonos, and flaccid paralysis. Chickens (9/10) and quails (8/10) dosed at 50 mg/kg body weight were affected, and several birds of each species died (2/10 and 5/10, respectively). Turkeys (7/10) were affected only when dosed at 100 mg/kg body weight, and quails (6/10), turkeys (4/10), and chickens (10/10) died at this dose. There were no gross or microscopic lesions. Coniine was detected in skeletal muscle and liver of birds dying after ingestion and was present in some survivors 7 days post-treatment.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Alkaloids / pharmacokinetics
  • Alkaloids / toxicity*
  • Animals
  • Chickens*
  • Colinus*
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Muscles / metabolism
  • Piperidines*
  • Poultry Diseases / chemically induced*
  • Quail*
  • Random Allocation
  • Seeds
  • Turkeys*

Substances

  • Alkaloids
  • Piperidines
  • coniine