NEPHROTOXICITY AND HEPATOTOXICITY IN CALVES APPARENTLY CAUSED BY EXPERIMENTAL FEEDING WITH NARTHECIUM-OSSIFRAGUM

Seven calves were fed a mixture of bog plants containing 15 g (wet mat ter) Narthecium ossifragum per kg live weight for two consecutive days . Their serum creatinine, urea and magnesium concentrations increased, whereas the serum calcium concentration decreased: Histopathological examination of the kidneys of the 5 calves that were killed revealed t ubular epithelial cell degeneration and necrosis. There were signs of liver dysfunction in all the calves including increased aspartate amin otransferase (ASAT), glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) and gamma-glutamyl tranrferase activities. All the-calves refused to ingest N. ossifragum after 2 days feeding, and their appetite for hay and concentrate was also reduced. It can be concluded that N. ossifragum is nephrotoxic an d hepatotoxic to calves.