Poisoning by Cashew Apple (Anacardium occidentale L.) in Cattle (2012)

Background: The cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale L.) is a plant grown in tropical regions of the world for production of cashew nuts, one of the most traded on the international market for edible nuts. The cashew apple is used for the production of various foods such as juices and sweets, but it can also be used in animal feed in the regions cashew is planted. The cashew apple can be used directly as feed, but usually it is dried for later use. However, many farmers reported the occurrence of poisoning in cattle promoted by the cashew apples, but this poisoning has not yet described. Thus, this study aimed to describe the poisoning by Anacardium occidentale in cattle. Materials, Methods & Results: It was visited eight farms that often had cases of poisoning by cashew at Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil, six at the municipality of Mossoro and two at the municipality of Serra do Mel. The farmers were asked whether the animals were fed with cashew apples and the amount supplied to animal, the occurrence of cases of poisoning, species affected, clinical manifestations (clinical signs, severity, and duration of signs), variation in age of affected animals and instituting any treatment. Furthermore, in one of the farms in the city of Mossoro, there were two cattle naturally poisoned by cashew apples given as food. It was recorded the epidemiological survey and clinical evaluation of affected animals. For experimental administration, it were collected cashew apples fallen on the ground on a farm. They were stored at room temperature for 48 h. Before administration, the cashew nuts were separated from the cashew apples. It was used two Holstein male calves, aging one year-old, that had never previously been fed with cashew apples. After fasting overnight, it was offered 30 kg of cashew apple in the trough to the calves. The animals were monitored for 24 h and recorded the volume of cashew apples consumed by each animal and the occurrence of any clinical sign. The interviews revealed that, the cashew apple is widely used for animal feeding at the season of nut production, because of its very low cost. Animals fed the cashew apples are mostly cattle and, less frequently, sheep and goats. Not all animals fed with cashew apples presents poisoning. Adult animals were reported by farmers as the most affected. The toxicosis is considered quite evident, as attendants unanimous in comparison with the appearance of alcoholic intoxication. It was verifi ed that cashew may promote poisoning in cattle, and the main clinical signs are lethargy, staggering gait and, prostration. Discussion: The cashew apple can promote poisoning in cattle. Poisoning by cashew presented here is similar to poisoning by the marula fruit (Sclerocarya birrea), a plant from Anacardiaceae family, the same family as the cashew tree. The marula poisoning is attributed to the alcohol formed by the fermentation of carbohydrates in the fruits, thus the cashew apple poisoning is probably due to ethanol production in the rumen by fermentation of cashew carbohydrates, resulting in alcoholic intoxication. The poisoning by Anacardium occidentale is reversible, and it seems to be non-lethal.