Metabolic profiling of cytotoxic steroidal saponins in five Australian Panicum species

Abstract

Up to 500 species of Panicum (panic grasses) are recognised worldwide, of which 24 species are indigenous to Australia and nine introduced. Recently, some of the introduced summer-growing annual Panicum spp. have been identified with high prevalence across southern Australia. Certain Panicum species have also been implicated in severe outbreaks of hepatogenous photosensitization in livestock, characterized by crystal-associated cholangiohepatopathy. The causal compound(s) responsible for liver dysfunction in livestock ingesting Panicum spp. have been previously identified as steroidal saponins. Although metabolic profiling of Panicum spp. has been undertaken in the USA and NZ, the saponins i..