B.GBP.0023 - Improving beef production through management of plant toxins

Summary

Plant toxins have a significant economic impact on the Australian cattle industry, with Pimelea poisoning costing up to $50 million a year through animal deaths, production losses and control measures.

This project aimed to develop management strategies for Pimelea poisoning, including the use of microbes from animals with prior toxin exposure, biopolymers to foster toxin degrading microbe populations, and the use of toxin adsorbents. Simplexin-degrading microbes were unable to be isolated, however toxin adsorbents and biopolymers for extended release have potential applications.

Objectives

This project aimed to determine if microbes from animals with prior toxin exposure could be capable of degrading toxins for use as preventative probiotics, develop biopolymers to foster toxin-degrading microbe populations and to investigate the use of toxin adsorbents.

Key findings

No microbes were isolated that could degrade the Pimelea plant toxin simplexin, largely refuting the hypothesis that rumen microbes from previously exposed cattle were adapted to deal with the Pimelea toxin. However, some toxin adsorbents such as activated biochar and bentonite showed potential as adsorbents for simplexin. 

The project also developed biopolymer composites that demonstrated stability within the rumen and potential to act as a slow-release rumen delivery device, with various potential applications.

Benefits to industry

Plant toxicity poisoning represents a significant cost to the industry from animal deaths, production losses, and control measures. This project has contributed to the understanding of Pimelea poisoning, and developed potential new management strategies such as the administration of bentonite.

MLA action

MLA continues to invest in projects that increase understanding of the feedbase and preventing toxicity through management and novel solutions.

Future research

Recommendations for future research include further investigation of bentonite as an adsorbent, the use of biopolymers for the slow-release delivery of active agents within the rumen, the metabolic fate of simplexin, and molecular modelling the interaction of simplexin with Protein Kinase C.

It was also suggested that adoption of outcomes regarding the efficacy of bentonite as a preventative measure for Pimelea poisoning be achieved through producer demonstration sites.