Stephen Augustine wrote:
>
> Just in case there is any confusion regarding the initial post on
> "fireweed" Dr. Ramadan was referring to "Senecio madagascariensis"

Before we file this away as a problem for the Aussies to worry about...

Some info from another site:

http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap42.html

Quote ( a small part and edited)
 5. Associated Foods: The plants most frequently implicated in
pyrrolizidine poisoning are members of the Borginaceae, Compositae, and
Leguminosae families. Consumption of the alkaloid-containing plants as
food, contaminants of food, or as medicinals has occurred.

Reports of acute poisoning in the United States among humans are
relatively rare. Most result from the use of medicinal preparations as
home remedies. However, intoxications of range animals sometimes occur
in areas under drought stress, where plants containing alkaloids are
common. Milk from dairy animals can become contaminated with the
alkaloids, and alkaloids have been found in the honey collected by bees
foraging on toxic plants. Mass human poisonings have occurred in other
countries when cereal crops used to prepare food were contaminated with
seeds containing pyrrolizidine alkaloid.

8. Target Population: All humans are believed to be susceptible to the
hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Home remedies and consumption of
herbal teas in large quantities can be a risk factor and are the most
likely causes of alkaloid poisonings in the United States.  Unquote

I could not find any link to pollen as one of the problem areas. Honey
was specifically mentioned in two of the toxicology reports as
containing
PA but were not implicated as causing any long term problems.

Granted that not all plants in the noted families have PA, but the
families are large and have many common plants that are in my yard, like
Borage, sunflowers and the like. The problem is that even though they
may have PA it can be isolated in a plant part, such as the root, or can
be throughout the plant, but in limited quantities.

Most toxic responses are from teas made from the plants, not the honey
or pollen. So the amounts in both are relatively small and diluted by
the other plants the bees forage from.
Plus, it takes a bit more work to get the toxic levels needed to do
damage, like make teas and drink them over an extended period.

Many of these plants were valued for their medicinal properties before
our cornucopia
of modern medicines. Maybe they were beneficial in low doses. They are
harmful in large doses. Like Broccoli.

I appreciate warnings about toxic substances in plants, but I think a
bit more clarification as to actual toxic levels in pollen and honey are
needed before we stigmatize them as toxic or even to have caution if
they forage in an area that has plants containing PA or any other
alkaloids or toxins. We need a few more facts. Can you imagine what this
kind of alarm would do to a country's honey industry if used by the
wrong people? Just read what PA can do. It is frightening. Does any
industry want a scare like Alar on apples. Which was really no problem
but still shut down many in the apple industry.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, ME