SCREENING OF TERATOGENICITY OF THE MARINE ALGA SYMPHYOCLADIA LATIUSCULA

Objective: To explore the Teratogenicity of isolated Polyphenols of Symphyocladia latiuscula (PSL) on pregnant female rats. Experimental Design: The marine alga Symphyocladia latiuscula were the preparation of methanolic extract followed by isolation of Polyphenols. The Teratogenic study was performed according to the OECD guidelines, no 415. And the test drug; PSL 100, 200 and 1000 mg/kg and positive control Valproic acid (VPA); 1000 mg/kg was administered from 6^th to 17^th day of gestation during the period of fetal organogenesis. All females were killed on the 20^th day of pregnancy, and their uterus was dissected to examine the Gross Abnormalities. Results and Conclusion: VPA significantly reduced all body measurements in terms of growth retardation, body weight, height, lower and upper limb, VPA showed mortality of 2 pups in the concentration of 1000 mg/kg/bw i.v whereas in PSL no significant differences were noted concerning the positive control group. The highest difference was shown especially PSL 1000 mg/kg/bw fetal morphological abnormalities; regarding the weight and length of the fetuses, there was a reduction, visceral abnormalities were revealed in the high dose of PSL 1000 mg/kg and positive control VPA 1000 mg/kg groups compared to the normal control group. These alterations were dose-dependent and found that the use of PSL was safe at 100 and 200 mg/kg dose, did not show toxic during the gestational period, and any anatomical and structural abnormalities in all the doses studied especially PSL 100 and 200 mg/kg.