Jianhua Wang
College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University

Locoweed is a general name of the plants including more than 30 species in Oxitropis DC and Astragalus L on the western grasslands of China. It has been found that the plants as nutritive as clover, responsible for the poison and death in livestock after a long time ingesting, and made great economic loses. The main toxic component isolated from locoweeds is the toxic indolizidine alkaloid named swainsonine (SW), can result in α-mannosidase inhibited, glucoprotein synthesis decreased, low polyglucoses piled up and cellular vacuolation. The poisoning animals show clinical symptoms of emaciation, nerve disorder, breed obstruct and others. Swainsonine also has been found the function of anticarcinogenesis and to be a potent regulator of immune system. The research findings in the past years, concentrated on the effective measures for prevention or treatment of the poisoning disease, will be great significant to prevent and control locoism, utilize the plants, accelerate the development of livestock industry, improve the production of swainsonine, develop new anticancer drug.