TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF FIVE SRI LANKAN MEDICINAL PLANTS: A BIOCHEMICAL, HAEMATOLOGICAL AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

Asteracantha longifolia, Asparagus falcatus, Vetiveria zizanioides, Coriandrum sativum and Epaltes divaricate have proven hepatoprotective and antioxidative effects against carbon tetrachloride and paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity in mice and are widely used in Sri Lanka for the treatment of liver disorders. However, toxicological information regarding their safety after exposure to experimental animals or humans is not available. The present study was designed to evaluate repeated dose toxicity of the five aqueous extracts mentioned above. Healthy, ICR mice were treated with 0.9g/kg (orally) of aqueous extracts daily, for a period of 30 days. Animals were observed for effects on body weight, food consumption, external appearance and mortality. Biochemical, haematological and histopathological parameters were estimated in all groups at the end of 30 days. Aqueous extracts tested didn’t produce mortality, changes in behaviour, difference in body weight, feeding habits or any other physiological activities in mice, at the dose administered. Biochemical or haematological analysis showed no marked differences in any of the parameters examined in either the control group or in the plant extract treated groups. No evidence of histopathological lesions was observed in any of the organs tested. The aqueous extracts of all five plant extracts at a dosage of 0.9g /kg were free from any toxic effects when administered for a period of 30 days to ICR mice.