Cytotoxic activity induced by the alkaloid extract from Ipomoea carnea on primary murine mixed glial cultures.

The prolonged consumption of Ipomoea carnea produces neurologic symptoms in animals and a typical histological lesion, cytoplasmic vacuolization, especially in neurons. The toxic principles of I. carnea are the alkaloids swainsonine and calystegines B, B, B and C In this study, primary brain cultures from newborn mouse containing mixed glial cells were utilized.