Page 79 - VHSA - Onderstepoort 100 Years - Part 3

and Mycotoxicoses of Livestock in southern Africa. His most telling contribution to toxicology at Onderstepoort, however, has been his work on plant-induced cardiac glycoside poisoning, including the isola- tion of the toxic principle (a bufadienolide, epoxyscillirosidin) from tulp (Moraea pallida).
Regrettably, his tenure in the Section
of Toxicology was cut short by his appoint-
ment as officer controlling the veteri-
nary aspects of the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds,
Agricultural Remedies & Stock Reme-
dies Act (Act 36 of 1947) and later his
promotion to Deputy Director of the
Institute. Kellerman (1970-1998) in turn
focused on improving both the research
and diagnostic capacity of the Section. In
addition to the existing staff − the nucleus
of which was R.A. (Anitra) Schultz (1969-1976 and 1981 -date, physiologist) who, besides her own research, had a gracious hand in almost all the toxicological projects, L.A.P. Anderson (c.1972-1989, organic chemist) with an uncanny
ONDERSTEPOORT 100
knack for isolating toxic principles from plants; and G.L. (Gert) Erasmus (1963- 1970 and 1980-2000, biochemist), who had a gift for purifying steroidal saponins from Tribulus terrestris – he managed to attract the services of exceptionally gifted researchers such as N. (Neil) Fourie (1984- 1996, veterinarian) and L.D. (Leendert) Snyman (1990-2003, physiologist). Later, after the retirement of Anderson, the Sec- tion was fortunate to be joined by Moira L. Bode (1996-2001), a remarkably talented young organic chemist.
To ensure that the research effort was directed only at the investigation of economically important problems, Keller- man and his co-workers in 1996 published a paper on the distribution, diagnosis and economic impact of plant poisonings and South Africa. This study revealed that the
mycotoxicoses in
most important poisonings (poisoning by cardiac glycoside- containing plants, geeldikkop, vermeersiekte, gifblaar poison- ing, gousiekte, diplodiosis and Lantana poisoning) were the same as those with which Theiler and the early workers so long ago had battled. This finding was not surprising, as the first plant poisonings brought to their attention would obviously have been those that were most damaging and, by inference, for which farmers most urgently needed answers. In the early 1970s only three mycotoxicoses (Paspalum staggers, diplodiosis and aflatoxicosis) were known to be of veterinary importance in South Africa, clearly not a true reflection of what was happening on the ground.
169
Senecio retrorsus
To address this problem, Kellerman was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to collaborate with W.F.O. Marasas (mycologist), affiliated with the Medical Research Council. Together with him, and after his departure in collaboration with G.C.A. van der Westhuizen, Cecile Roux and C.J. Rabie (mycologists), much light has been thrown on the situation regarding veterinary mycotoxicoses in South Africa. Though much had been done to identify and describe plant poisonings and to isolate the toxic principles from the causa- tive plants, the difficult question of the control and treat- ment of these poisonings had to a measure been neglected. To fill this need, Kellerman in collaboration with Snyman and Schultz initiated an investigation of conditioned feed aversion as a means of controlling plant poisonings of stock.
Finally, early in the 1980s Kellerman recognized the pressing need for a comprehensive reference work on plant poisonings in South Africa, as the last book on the subject, published more than 50 years before by Steyn, was obsolete and long out of print. As a result no modern handbook – collating information on plant poisonings covering the past 100 years in South Africa – was available for researchers, veterinarians and students to consult. Determined that such a book should be written, he approached J.A.W. (Koos) Coetzer and Naudé (see
, one of our most important toxic plants, causes severe liver failure in ruminants and horses
Toxicology
1908-2008
Years