Toxicity of Crepis vesicaria L. in ruminants: preliminary results.

Crepis vesicaria is a plant belonging to the Asteraceae family which is commonly found in Italy near the coast until an altitude of 1200 m. Due to the fact that many grazing ruminants died in many mountain areas of Basilicata region (Italy), where C. vesicaria grows thriving, veterinary practitioners contacted the division of Veterinary Toxicology of the University of Naples to carry out an inspection. Farmers claim that this plant is the cause of death for many animals, particularly during the early summer when it grows thriving. Scientific evidence does not exist in literature, so the supposed toxicity of Crepis vesicaria cannot be explained. For this reason, we carried out a histological examination on samples obtained from all tissues of two animals who had died following the ingestion of a large amount of the plant, according to what farmers referred. Moreover, since only few active principles were isolated from other species of the same family (1-4) but not from C. vesicaria, another aim of the current study was to isolate different active principles from the plant. Post-mortem examination revealed marked degenerative alterations in both kidneys and liver. The lesions and histological examination induced us to formulate a diagnosis of a likely toxic-induced hepato-dystrophy and nephro-dystrophy. Since the active principles that can be found in the extracts really included in the toxicity of Crepis vesicaria are still unknown, in vitro studies are in progress in our laboratories to investigate about the biological activity of different extracts in animal cellular models. These studies could help us to obtain information about the toxicity of Crepis vesicaria and the activity of different substances present in the plant.