In vivo acute and subchronic toxicity studies of methanolic extract obtained from roots of Diospyros melanoxylon L

抄録

Diospyros melanoxylon has various ethnomedicinal benefits and a very few studies have described the potential toxicity. The present study aims to evaluate the in vivo toxicity of methanolic extracts obtained from roots of D. melanoxylon. The acute and subchronic oral toxicity was evaluated in Swiss Albino mice. The extract at a single dose of 2000 mg/kg did not produce treatment related signs of toxicity and/or mortality in any of the animals tested during the observation period of 14 days. The LD50 of the selected plant was estimated to be more than 2000 mg/kg. In the repeated dose 90-day oral toxicity study, the administration of 50 mg/kg, 250 mg/kg, 500mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg/day of D. melanoxylon root extract per body weight revealed no significant difference (P > 0.05) in food and water consumptions, changes in body weight, haematological and biochemical parameters, relative organ weights. All the findings were compared to the control group. Macropathology and histopathology examinations of all organs including the liver did not reveal any morphological alteration (Figure 1). Analyses of these results with the information of signs, behavior, and health monitoring could lead to the conclusion that the long-term oral administration of D. melanoxylon extract for 90 days does not cause sub-chronic toxicity.