General poisoning notes:

Rapeseed (Brassica napus) meal is used as an additive to livestock feed, but toxicity occurs from glucosinolates and erucic acid, which form in the seeds. Canadian breeders have developed new cultivars called canola, which are low in these compounds (Cheeke and Schull 1985). See discussions under Brassica oleracea for more information on poisoning by Brassica species.

References:

Cheeke, P. R., Shull, L. R. 1985. Natural toxicants in feeds and poisonous plants. AVI Publishing Company, Inc., Westport, Conn., USA. 492 pp.

Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Prentice-Hall Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., USA. 626 pp.

Nomenclature:

Scientific Name: Brassica napus L.

Vernacular name(s): rapeseed

Scientific family name: Cruciferae

Vernacular family name: mustard

Go to ITIS*^ca for more taxonomic information on: Brassica napus

References:

Agriculture Quebec. 1975. Noms des maladies des plantes du Canada/ Names of plant diseases in Canada. , Quebec City, Que., Canada. 288 pp.

Alex, J. F., Cayouette, R., Mulligan, G. A. 1980. Common and botanical names of weeds in Canada/Noms populaire et scientifiques des plantes nuisibles du Canada. Revised. Agric. Can. Publ., Ottawa, Ont., Canada. 132 pp.

Bailey, L. H., Bailey, E. Z. 1976. Hortus third. Revised. MacMillan, New York, N.Y., USA. 1290 pp.

Scoggan, H. J. 1978, 1979. The flora of Canada. Nat. Mus. Nat. Sci. (Ottawa) Publ. Bot. 7(1)-7(4). 1711 pp.

Van Wijk, H. L. 1911. A dictionary of plant names. Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, The Netherlands. 1444 pp.

Victorin, M. 1964. Flore Laurentienne. 2nd ed. Univ. Montreal, Montreal, Que., Canada. 952 pp.

Geographic Information

Alberta
British Columbia
Labrador
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland
Northwest Territories
Nova Scotia
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Yukon Territory

References:

Bailey, L. H., Bailey, E. Z. 1976. Hortus third. Revised. MacMillan, New York, N.Y., USA. 1290 pp.

Boivin, B. 1966, 1967. Énumération des plantes du Canada. Provencheria 6. Nat. Can. (Que.) 93: 253-274; 371-437; 583-646; 989-1063. 94: 131-157; 471-528; 625-655.

Image or illustration

rapeseed:

Images: images.google.com

Notes on Poisonous plant parts:

Rapeseed meal is used as an additive to feeds for livestock. The recent development of canola cultivars allows a much higher amount of rapeseed meal to be added to diets without toxic affects (Cheeke and Schull 1985).

Toxic parts:

leaves
seeds

References:

Cheeke, P. R., Shull, L. R. 1985. Natural toxicants in feeds and poisonous plants. AVI Publishing Company, Inc., Westport, Conn., USA. 492 pp.

Notes on Toxic plant chemicals:

See the notes under Brassica oleracea for a discussion on these chemicals, which are common to the genus Brassica.

Toxic plant chemicals:

glucosinolates

glucosinolates

glucosinolates

S-methyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide (SMCO)

Chemical diagram(s) are courtesy of Ruth McDiarmid, Biochemistry Technician, Kamloops Range Station, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Kamploops, British Columbia, Canada.

References:

Cheeke, P. R., Shull, L. R. 1985. Natural toxicants in feeds and poisonous plants. AVI Publishing Company, Inc., Westport, Conn., USA. 492 pp.

Animals/Human Poisoning:

Note: When an animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993) contained no detailed explanation.

Cattle

Poultry

General symptoms of poisoning:

liver, congestion of
thyroid, enlarged
weight gain, reduced

Notes on poisoning:

Poultry exhibit growth depression and enlarged thyroid glands from ingesting too much rapeseed meal. Perosis, lowered egg production, and off-flavors in eggs also occur (Cheeke and Schull 1985).

References:

Cheeke, P. R., Shull, L. R. 1985. Natural toxicants in feeds and poisonous plants. AVI Publishing Company, Inc., Westport, Conn., USA. 492 pp.

Swine