Įxperimental intoxication by coffee husks has been described in cattle in Brazil, and the signs of hyperexcitability, muscle tremors, increased heart and respiratory rates, spontaneous falls, opisthotonus and seizures were attributed to the caffeine found in the husks.
Natural cases of intoxication have also been described in cats and dogs furthermore, lethal doses of caffeine combined with theobromine are used for population control in coyotes. įound mainly in coffee, teas, soft drinks, energy drinks, chocolate and in some medications, caffeine is considered a leading cause of intoxication in humans, and several fatal cases have been reported.
This resultant cAMP accumulation stimulates catecholamines actions. Another described caffeine effect is the inhibition of phosphodiesterases, capable of cAMP inactivation. When caffeine binds to adenosine receptors, it prevents the inhibitory effects of adenosine, thereby exerting an excitatory action on smooth muscles and on several body systems, including the central nervous system, cardiorespiratory system and gastrointestinal system. Adenosine reduces spontaneous neuronal firing in multiple brain areas, and its presynaptic action inhibits neuronal release of acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid it produces sedation and has an anticonvulsant effect. Ĭaffeine (C 8H 10N 4O 2) is a methylxanthine, which the most important effect is adenosine receptor antagonism. Several studies have addressed reuse of the husks, especially as organic fertilizers, in tea production, caffeine extraction and the feeding of ruminants and pigs. The coffee ( Coffea arabica) husk is rich in organic compounds and contains substances such as tannins, polyphenols and caffeine the latter is often found in higher concentrations in the husk than in the bean. Therefore, coffee husks pose a risk when used as bedding or as feed for horses.īrazil is the largest coffee producer in the world, and coffee grain processing generates a large amount of waste, given that close to 60% of the crude weight of the bean corresponds to the husk.
It was concluded that consumption of coffee husks was toxic to horses due to the high levels of caffeine present in their composition. The concentrations of caffeine in the plasma (p < 0.001) and urine (p < 0.001) of these animals were significantly greater at T56 than at T0. Caffeine levels were measured in the plasma and urine of these horses on two occasions: immediately before the coffee husks were made available to the animals (T0) and at the time of the clinical presentation of intoxication, 56 h after the animals started to consume the husks (T56). Six horses fed coast cross hay ad libitum were given access to coffee husks and excitability, restlessness, involuntary muscle tremors, chewing movements and constant tremors of the lips and tongue, excessive sweating and increased respiration and heart rates were the most evident clinical signs. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether coffee husk consumption causes intoxication in horses. However, field veterinarians have reported that horses become intoxicated after ingesting the coffee husks that are used as bedding. In Brazil, coffee ( Coffea arabica) husks are reused in several ways due to their abundance, including as stall bedding.
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