Abstract

IN-VIVO ASSESSMENT OF EMBRYO TOXICITY POTENTIAL OF IMMUNE BOOSTING SIDDHA FORMULATION NELLIKAI LEGIUM DURING GESTATION PERIOD

Elakkiyaa V.*, Nisha J., Visweswaran S. and Muthukumar N. J.

Abstract

Zebrafish model provides valuable insight into teratogenic risk assessment of drugs, chemicals, traditional medicines and other pharmaceuticals. This model has also been recommended as an alternative to fish acute toxicity. Embryo toxicity assay is most reliable model for predicting the teratogenic potential of the formulation and other new drug entities. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) attains greater importance in the field reproductive biology due to it’s close genetical resemblance with respect to that of the humans. The main aim of the present investigation is to evaluate the embryo toxicity profiling of the siddha formulation Nellikai Legium using Zebrafish embryos. The concentration of the test drug ranging from 10μg to 320 μg/ml upon 24 to 96 hours post fertilization (HPF) exposure at 30 embryos per concentration. The results obtained from the present investigation has clearly shown that there is no significant difference in movement analysis of the drugs treated groups (7.1 ± 1.155 to 7.733 ± 0.90 per min) with that of the control embryos with movement of 7.667 ± 1.184 per min. The data obtained from the present investigation reveals that there is no significant difference in heart rate of the drugs treated groups (124.1 ± 2.255 to 126.5 ± 2.286 beats/min) with that of the control embryos with heart rate of 125.1 ± 2.27 beats/ min. Further there was no abnormalities were detected in observed parameter’s such hatching rate, blood circulation, pigmentation, swimming pattern, balancing and morphogenesis. It was concluded from the results of the present investigation that siddha formulation Nellikai Legium was safe and didn’t alter any of the physiology of the developing fetus upon 24 to 96 HPF exposure.

Keywords: Siddha formulation, Nellikai Legium, Zebrafish embryos, Toxicity profiling, Hours post fertilization.