What toxicant is contained in the bark, leaves, and fruits of Aesculus californica, commonly known as the California Buckeye tree or California horse-chestnut tree?
Aesculin, a saponin glycoside. According to the cited reference, “Young leaves and flowers are considered to be highly toxic. However, the bark contains the highest concentration of aesculin. Poisoning typically involves small animals with onset of clinical symptoms within 6 hours. Common symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, salivation, hematemesis, abdominal tenderness, thirst, anorexia, dehydration, ataxia, muscle tremor, rigidity, pyrexia, and gastrointestinal tract obstruction.”
Campbell A. Poisoning in small animals from commonly ingested plants. In Practice. 1998;20(10):587-591. doi:10.1136/inpract.20.10.587
Contributed by Ryan Munch, MD Candidate