White snakeroot

The second alcohol toxin of significance is tremetol, the toxin found in white snakeroot in the midwest and ray less goldenrod in the southwest. Tremetol is an oily extract of the plant and was first associated with the toxic effects, and named appropriately by Couch in 1927. Tremetol is a mixture of methyl ketone benzofuran derivatives, including tremetone, dehydrotremetone, and hydroxytremetone (Beier and Norman, 1990). 

Smetzer, D.L., Coppock, R.W. and Ely, R.W. (1983). Cardiac effects of white snakeroot intoxication in horses. Equine Practice, 5, 26-32. 

Ligularia (Asteraceae) spp. milk from cow foraging on Eupatorium rugosum (white snakeroot) killed Abraham Lincoln s mother Nancy Hanks Lincoln... 

There is no evidence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in Eupatorium rugosum (white snakeroot) but this plant also has poisonous properties, which are attributed to an unstable toxin called tremetol. Transfer from cow s milk to humans can produce a condition known as milk sickness, including trembles, weakness, nausea and vomiting, prostration, delirium, and even death. 

Polygalaceae), Virginia (Aristolochia serpentaria, Aristolochiaceae) and white snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum, Asteraceae). In the United States, a list of standardized common names called Herbs of Commerce (American Herbal Products Association, 1992) was adopted by the FDA as the only permitted source for common names on product labeling. Products that contain plants not listed in Herbs of Commerce are required to use the correct Latin name of the plant on the label. In addition to difficulties with nomenclature, problems have arisen because of the difficulty in determining exactly which plants are present in a finished product. Capsules that contain more than one plant and/or a dried crude extract make identification of the plant(s) by traditional means such as microscopy virtually impossible (Betz et al., 1995). Determination of the identity of a misidentified plant then becomes a matter of looking for specific toxic chemical constituents, which is usually a needle in a haystack approach unless symptoms are characteristic of a particular compound. Good quality assurance of raw material obviates the need for this detective work. 

The hot infusion in quantity can cause vomiting otherwise, there are no side effects. It has been reported that the fresh plant contains trematol, which causes "milk-sickness" in cows and in people who drink infected milk. My research shows that trematol is confined to Eupatorium rugosum, white snakeroot, and does not occur in boneset. A significant number of clinicians feel that as a tincture, fresh boneset is best, and that the dried herb should be used for tea. 

Compounds with similar structure have been implicated in cases of livestock and human poisoning by Eupatorium rugosum, white snakeroot, in the eastern United States (Beier and Norman, 1990 Beier et al., 1987). This plantpoisoning syndrome was once a major problem and was considered an illness, often called milk sickness (Beier and Norman, 1990 Kingsbury, 1964). The lipophilic compounds of white snakeroot are excreted by lactating animals, usually cattle. In the southwestern United States, where white snakeroot does not grow, another species. Isocoma wrightii (syn. Haplopappus heterophyllus), has... 

Beier, R. C. and J. O. Norman, The toxic factor in white snakeroot Identity, analysis, and prevention, in Proceedings of the Symposium on Public Health Significance of Natural Toxicants in Animal Feeds (W. R. Keller, V. R. Beasley, and J. F, Robens, eds.). Vet. Human Toxicol., 32 (Suppl.), 81-88 (1990). 

Rayiess goidenrod (Hap-lopappu Unknown Similar to white snakeroot below... 

No doubt, men watched their livestock get sick or die after eating certain plants. Stories of the Old West have made loco-weeds famous because of their effects on animals. When eaten by dairy cows, White snakeroot transfers its poisonous alcohol, tremetol, to their milk. During the 19th century, this created the outbreaks of milk sickness in the Appalachians and the Midwest, and resulted in the loss of numerous lives. 

Also obtained by catalytic hydrogenation of Tremetone in the presence of Pd/C. Tremetone has been isolated from the White Snakeroot plant (Eupatorium urticaefolium) [3449,3487]. 

From the white snakeroot plant (Eupatorium urticaefolium) [4306]. 

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