Showing papers on "Strychnos potatorum published in 2006"

Toxicological Investigations on Strychnos potatorum Linn Seeds in Experimental Animal Models

Abstract: The acute and chronic toxicity studies of aqueous extract (SPE) and seed powder (SPP) of Strychnos potatorum (S. potatorum) Linn were carried out in Wistar albino mice and rats, respectively. The animals did not show any toxic effects upto the dose of 2000 mg/kg, p.o. According to OECD guidelines - 423 for acute oral toxicity, the LD50 dose of 2000 mg/kg and above is categorized as ''unclassified.'' For chronic toxicity study, 100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o. of SPE and SPP were administered to Wistar rats for 90 days and various parameters like food and water intake, body weight changes, haematological parameters like red blood corpuscles (RBC), white blood corpuscles (WBC), haemoglobin (Hb) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), biochemical parameters like blood glucose and urea, serum creatinine, enzyme parameters like alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and acid phosphatase (ACP) were studied. There were no significant changes in any of the above parameters of drug treated groups with respect to control group, which explain their nontoxic nature. Further the nontoxic effect of the drugs SPP and SPE were confirmed by histopathological examination of various organs like liver, kidney, spleen and heart. Phytochemical studies of the drugs showed the presence of carbohydrates, alkaloids, steroids/triterpenes, polyphenolics, saponins and polysaccharides in SPP and carbohydrates, steroids, triterpenes, saponins, polyphenolics and polysaccharides in SPE.