Abstract

THE IN VIVO ASSESSMENT OF NEUROTOXICITY IN ALBINO WISTAR RATS FED ON LATHYRUS SATIVUS

Sujata Yerra*, Eswar Kumar Kilari

Abstract

Lathyrus sativus, rather profoundly known as grass pea, is a legume commonly grown for human consumption and livestock feed in Asia and East Africa. It is of prime importance in drought-stricken and famine affected areas and is thus thought of as an insurance crop as it produces reliable yields when all other crops fail. The seeds of grass pea contain a neurotoxin that causes a neurodegenerative disease when consumed as a primary period on a daily basis. The present study is a strong attempt to evaluate the various traditional processing methods on the composition of grass pea and select the efficient processing method, which makes the food more safe that can prevent lathyrism and protein energy malnutrition. As a result considering the importance of grass pea and the unparallel contribution of improved varieties in the productivity of the crop, the present study was pursued for the In vivo assessment of neurotoxicity using acute oral toxicity tests on Albino Wistar rats using the Rota rod apparatus method and the Incline screen test method. Further, the relationship between the various food processing techniques employed and the neurotoxicological assessments was possible.

Keywords: grass pea, food processing, neurotoxicity, oral toxicity tests, Rota rod, Inclined screen test.