Acute and sub-acute toxicities of ethanolic root extract of Tiliacora triandra Diels. in male rats

Abstract

The present study was aimed to determine the acute and sub-acute toxicities of 95% ethanolic root extracts from Tiliacora triandra Diels in rats. The extract at dose of 2,000 mg/kg was orally administered once to male Wistar rats to investigate an acute toxicity, and dead rat was not found within the first 24 hours and for further 14 days. A sub-acute toxicity study using doses (2,000 mg/kg) was performed by daily and orally administration to the rats for 14 days. The extract did not produce any sign or symptom of sub-acute toxicities and the dead rat. The body weight increased in comparison to the controls. However, the relative organ weight between the treated rats and control rats was not different. Interestingly, the liver function parameters including AST, ALT and ALP significantly increased (p<0.05) among treated rats suggesting the impairments of liver function. These results were corresponded to the histology study that there was fatty liver incidence in the rats treated with 2,000 mg/kg root extract. However, the extract did not alter the kidney function parameters and histology. The results demonstrated that root extract from Tiliacora triandra at dose of 2,000 mg/kg caused hepato-toxicity in male Wistar rats. Therefore, the dose less than 2,000 mg/kg was recommended for consumption.