Abstract

SAFETY EVALUATION OF A HERBAL MIXTURE OF AQUEOUS EXTRACTS OF FICUS RACEMOSA AND AZADIRACHTA INDICA: ASSESSMENT OF SUB-CHRONIC TOXICITY IN RATS

Pearl Andrea Dias, Lathika Shetty and Suchetha Kumari Nalilu*

Abstract

Ficus racemosa has been used in traditional medicine for the treatmentof diabetes, dysentery, diarrhea, bilious affections, menorrhage,haemoptysis, piles, stomach ache and as a carminative and astringent.While Azadirachta indica has been used extensively in themanagement of jaundice, eczema, cough, vomiting, malaria anddiabetes mellitus. Reports of the safety evaluation of each of theseplants are available in literature. However, toxicity profiling of theseplant extracts when used in combination is lacking. Hence, the aim ofthe current study was to assess the sub-chronic toxicity of a 1:1combination of the aqueous extracts of Ficus racemosa stem bark andAzadirachta indica leaves. Three groups of female albino Wistar ratsreceived the herbal mixture orally at dose levels of 100, 200 and 1,000mg/kg body weight (b. wt.) for 28 consecutive days, respectively. Thestudy was carried out as per Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD) guidelines. Behavioral changes, body and organ weights, hematological andbiochemical parameters were analyzed. No concrete evidences of toxicities attributable totreatment with the herbal mixture were observed on behavioral pattern and body weightanalysis. Significant reduction in organ weights was observed in the treated groups. Changesin hematology and blood biochemistry were significant.

Keywords: Sub-chronic toxicity, Ficus racemosa, Azadirachta indica, OECD.