Ryegrass staggers: the presence of lolitrem neurotoxins in perennial ryegrass seed

Authors: Hawkes AD, McGaveston DA, Gallagher RT, Campbell AG, Pansier EA, Harvey IC, Holland PT
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 30, Issue 11, pp 183-184, Nov 1982
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Livestock
Subject Terms: Mycotoxicosis, Liver/hepatic disease, Disease/defect, Fungal/yeast, Locomotor, Nervous system/neurology, Pasture/crop, Poisoning - plant, Toxicology
Article class: Correspondence

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Abstract: Recently, two potent neurotoxins named lolitrem A and lolitrem B were isolated from herbage collected from pastures on which the livestock disorder ryegrass staggers (RGS) occurred. We now wish to report that samples of perennial rygrass (Lolium perenne L.) seed obtained from several locations in New Zealand contained potent neurotoxins which include lolitrem A and lolitrem B. Further, when pellets made from lolitrem neurotoxin-containing seed were fed to sheep, symptoms indistinguishable from those of severe, natural RGS were induced in four sheep, and mild symptoms in three sheep. Our search for the presence of the neurotoxins lolitrem A and lolitrem B in ryegrass seed followed the discovery of these toxins in ryegrass herbage associated with RGS outbreaks…

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