Herbaspirillum seropedicae as a degrading bacterium of monofluoroacetate: effects of its inoculation in goats by ingesting Amorimia septentrionalis and the concentrations of this compound in plants sprayed with the bacterium

ABSTRACT: Herbaspirillum seropedicae is a nitrogen-fixing bacterium capable of using toxic compounds as a source of carbon. Bacteria with this capacity can be used to make animals resistant to plant poisoning containing monofluoroacetate (MFA), such as Amorimia septentrionalis. The aim of this study was to evaluate if H. seropedicae is efficient in the degradation of MFA present in A. septentrionalis and if the inoculation of this bacterium in goats confers protection to A. septentrionalis intoxication. Two experiments were performed: in the first experiment 12 goats were divided into 2 groups. Goats in Group 1 were orally administered a solution containing the H. seropedicae bacterium for 10 days. From day 10 onwards, they received a daily dose of 5g/kg of A. septentrionalis with the bacteriauntil clinical signs of intoxication were observed. Group 2 goats received only the plant at the same dose, also until the observation of clinical signs of intoxication. The amount of MFA found in A. septentrionalis used in the experiment with goats was 1.6±0.058μg/mg. The total plant dose ingested by all goats in Group 1 was 80.83±12.81g/kg (129.33±20.50mg/kg MFA), which were significantly greater (p<0.05) than those of Group 2 goats (39.16±19.08g/kg plant and 62.66±30.53mg/kg MFA). Group 1 goats took an average of 16.16±2.56 days to develop clinical signs of intoxication, significantly longer (p=0.0012) than Group 2 goats (7.83±3.81 days). Two Group 2 goats died on the same day that they developed clinical signs of intoxication. At necropsy of these two animals, no significant changes were observed. In the second experiment, samples of A. septentrionalis were sprayed with a solution containing H. seropedicae. Before and eight days after spraying, the samples were pressed and dried for quantitation of MFA. The amount of MFA present in samples of A. septentrionalis 8 days after spraying with H. seropedicae was significantly lower (p=0.017) than that found prior to spraying. It can be concluded that administration of H. seropedicae in goats is capable of causing greater resistance to A. septentrionalis intoxication, and spraying the plant with this bacterium significantly reduces the amount of MFA in the plant.