Abstract

A 90-DAY ORAL TOXICITY STUDY OF THE CHLOROFORM EXTRACT OF GOMPHRENA GLOBOSA IN RATS

S. T. Latha*, N. N. Rajendiran, G. Babu, M. Surendra Kumar and N. Astalakshmi

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Abstract

Gomphrena globosa is one of the most widely used folk herb and a constituent in many traditional Indian and Chinese herbal medicines. The present work involves „90-Day Oral Toxicity Study‟ of the Chloroform Extract of Gomphrena globosa (CEGG) in Wistar strain Albino rats. The rats were administered with CEGG at the dose of 1000 mg/kg, p. o., once daily orally for 90 days. The blood samples were collected at 91st day with anticoagulant, as well as without anticoagulant (EDTA). Blood with the anticoagulant was used immediately for the determination of hematological parameters, while blood without the anticoagulant was used for biochemical parameters. There were no significant adverse effects on clinical signs, body weight, food conversion efficiency, and vital hematological indices. There were no significant changes in the hematological parameters such as WBC, lymphocyte, monocyte, neutrophil, eosinophil, basophil, red blood cell count (RBC), Hb, HCT, MCV, and in the levels of total proteins, albumin, ALT, AST, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, in the CEGG treated group as compared to normal. Significant changes are observed in the MCH, MPV, total cholesterol and triglycerides. The histopathology study did not show any significant changes in the appearance of the cells of various organs investigated as compared to normal. Thus, the findings reveal that the proper use of CEGG in traditional medicine at an oral dose up to 1000 mg/kg, p. o., may harbor no prolonged toxicity to rats. However, further studies of CEGG are still necessary to assess its oral safety in patients.

Keywords: Gomphrena globosa, 90-day oral toxicity, hematological, biochemical, histopathology.