The toxicity to cattle and bufadienolide content of six Bryophyllum species

Cardiac glycoside poisoning was produced in calves given (in descending order of toxicity) flower heads of the hybrid Bryophyllum (Kalanchoe) daigremontianum x B. tubiflorum, of B. pinnatum, of B. tubiflorum (from previous work), whole plant of B. fedtschenkoi, flower heads of B. daigremontianum and whole plant of B. proliferum. For each plant (except B. tubiflorum), 2 calves were each given a single dose of 20 g wet weight per kg bodyweight. By using high performance liquid chromatography, the bufadienolides (cardiac glycosides) bryotoxin A, B and C were detected and assayed in the flower heads and leaf plus stem of B. tubiflorum and in the roots of B. tubiflorum, the hybrid and B. pinnatum. Only bryotoxins B and C were detected and assayed in the flower heads and leaf plus stem of the hybrid, B. daigremontianum and B. pinnatum. No bryotoxins were detected in B. fedtschenkoi. Bryotoxin A and a mixture of bryotoxins B and C from B. tubiflorum flowers were used as standards in the chromatographic assay. Comparing the results of the calf toxicity experiment with the amounts of bufadienolide measured in the plants suggests that bryotoxins A, B and C probably account for the observed disease, but that B. pinnatum and B. fedtschenkoi contain at least one other cardiac glycoside.