Veratrum californicum

Steroidal alkaloids can cause malformations of fetuses during development. Domestic sheep feeding on Veratrum californicum often give birth to lambs with grotesquely shaped one-eyed heads. This cyclopia is caused by the steroidal alkaloids jervine, cyclopamine, and cycloposine (reviewed by Keeler, 1986). 

Plants Many herbs, skunk cabbage (Veratrum californicum) in sheep and cattle, parasites in frogs... 

Veratrum lobelianum Veratrum californicum 0-ace ty Ifervine Jervine Cyclop amin Cycloposine Protoveratrine A Protoveratrine B... 

Keeler RF, Binns W. Teratogenic compounds of Veratrum californicum (Durand). V. Comparison of cyclopian effects of steroidal alkaloids from the plant and structurally related compounds from other sources. Teratology. 1968 1(1) 5-10. 

The alkaloid cyclopamine (35), previously designated alkaloid V, has been isolated (36) from Veratrum californicum Durand in addition to veratramine, jervine, pseudojervine, veratrosine, and alkaloid X (cycloposine) (37). Cyclopamine has been found by chemical and physicochemical investigation to be identical with 11-deoxojervine (23) (38). 

Cycloposine (78) (see Section II, A, 2) was isolated from Veratrum californicum (37). Its structure was elucidated as follows. The IR, PMR, and mass spectra of 78 showed many similarities to those of cydopamine... 

Alkaloid Q (C32H53NO4 mp 209-210° [a] —95° in chloroform) has been isolated by Keeler from Veratrum californicum (35). 

To illustrate the extreme specificity of interactions between toxins and their consumers, that sometimes may occur, consider the Veratrum californicum plant. If a female sheep consumes this plant on day fourteen of her pregnancy, her lambs may be bom with cyclopia, having one eye in the middle of the forehead. She can graze this plant before and after day 14 with no ill effects (Gessert, 2003). 

Chronologic evaluation of teratogenicity in sheep fed Veratrum californicum, J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc., 147 839-842. 

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