Abstract

ACUTE AND SUBACUTE TOXICITY OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF CYPERUS PAPYRUS IN WISTER ALBINO RATS

*Mohammed Ali Khalifa, Amna Elhassan Hamad Mohammad, Basher Mohamed Ahmed and Elsadig A. Adam

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Abstract

Cyperus papyrus (CP) is belong to cyperaceous family. It contains a various secondary metabolites and minerals, and it used traditionally in various situations. As there was no toxicological data found for this plant, acute and sub-acute oral toxicity studies of the ethanolic extracts of (CP) were carried out in Wistar Albino rats, to evaluate its potential toxicity. Acute and sub-acute oral toxicity studies were carried out according to OECD guidelines. Acute exposure of CP extract was studied in rats by oral single dosing of 2000mg/kg BW. Sub-acute oral toxicity was carried out by daily oral administration of CP ethanolic extracts at doses of 175mg/kg, 550mg/kg, 1750mg/kg, to three groups of 6 rats in each, and 1750mg/kg was repeated to the fourth group of 6 rats (as recovery group), for successive 28 day. Control group received distilled water. On day 29, the rats were weighed and sacrificed except the recovery group which sacrificed after extra 14 days without administration of testing compounds. Blood samples were collected for biochemical and hematological analysis and histopathological examination of the vital organs was done. No deaths or signs of acute oral toxicity were recorded. Results obtained after oral sub-acute toxicity showed decrease in RBCs count and HC% which return to the normal range in the recovery group. Biochemical tests showed mild increase in SCr, ALT, AST and ALP that also return to the normal range in the recovery group. histopathological examination doesn’t reveal any morphological changes of kidney, liver, lung, spleen, heart, or small intestine. The results obtained indicate that the LD50 of CP ethanolic extract is greater than 2000 mg/kg and is considered safe and non-toxic at acute exposure.

Keywords: Cyperus Papyrus, acute toxicity, sub-acute toxicity, OECD.