• There are potentially two different types of toxin exposure associated with Lupinus species:
  • Direct lupine plant poisoning (lupine poisoning) as a result of the toxic alkaloids in bitter lupine plants.
  • Lupinosis – this is a mycotoxic condition caused by the ingestion of lupines contaminated by a specific type of fungus.  This condition is largely associated with the use of sweet lupines as fodder, and is not due to the alkaloid toxins in the plant.

• Cause: lupinosis is caused by mycotoxins that cause liver damage.
• Signs:
  • Photosensitisation may occur.
  • Abortion in late gestation and ketosis due to inappetance have been linked to lupinosis in cattle.
  • Deaths can occur.
  • Acute/subacute: jaundice, inappetance, enlarged liver.
  • Chronic: fibrotic liver.
• Diagnosis: observation of fungal contamination of lupine material, testing for the presence of mycotoxins and history of cattle exposure.
• Treatment: supportive care and removal from the source of contaminated lupine material.
• Prognosis: recovery is expected in animals that maintain or re-establish their appetite.

Geographic incidence

• Lupinosis is particularly important in countries where lupines are grown and used for animal fodder following the harvest.
• Lupinosis typically occurs in animals grazing lupine stubble, or if they are fed with hay containing lupine plant material.

Age predisposition

• None.

Public health considerations

• There are potential food safety implications for meat and milk.
  • There is insufficient data to determine the public health risk of exposure to phomopsins in food as phomopsins are not routinely measured in milk, offal and meat. It is recommended to seek specialist advice on this matter, particularly with regard to the consumption of meat and milk from exposed animals and appropriate withdrawal times.

Cost considerations

• Where lupine stubble is used for grazing, should mycotoxins subsequently develop on the stubble, financial losses could occur with loss of the use of this food resource, as well as the health impact on affected livestock (both morbidity and mortality).

Special risks

• Pregnancy: due to the secondary effects of inappetance, cattle in advanced stages of pregnancy appear to be more at risk from lupinosis.
• Stage of plant growth:
  • If lupine plants have been infected with Diaporthe toxica fungus, the mycotoxins are produced by the fungus once the lupine plant has died.