Toxicological Research

Korean Society of Toxicology & Korea Environmental Mutagen Society (한국독성학회)
권호 표지

Four-week Repeated Oral Toxicity Study of the Extract of Aralia elata in Rats

랫드에서 두릅 추출물의 4주 반복투여 독성시험

  • Jin, Ju-Youn (Department of Veterinary Medicine Cheju National University) ;
  • Yang, Hee-Kyoung (Department of Veterinary Medicine Cheju National University) ;
  • Kim, Ji-Min (Department of Veterinary Medicine Cheju National University) ;
  • Ko, Mun-Su (Department of Veterinary Medicine Cheju National University) ;
  • Hong, Hyun-Ju (Department of Veterinary Medicine Cheju National University) ;
  • Jin, Young-Gun (Department of Veterinary Medicine Cheju National University) ;
  • Kim, Dong-Gun (Department of Veterinary Medicine Cheju National University) ;
  • Kim, Sang-Chul (Department of Veterinary Medicine Cheju National University) ;
  • Lee, Il (Department of Veterinary Medicine Cheju National University) ;
  • Hyon, Min-Kyong (Department of Veterinary Medicine Cheju National University) ;
  • Kang, Sang-Chul (Department of Veterinary Medicine Cheju National University) ;
  • Kim, Jae-Hoon (Department of Veterinary Medicine Cheju National University) ;
  • Lee, Young-Jae (Department of Veterinary Medicine Cheju National University)
  • Published : 2006.12.30
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Abstract

Aralia elata, a common medicinal and culinary herb, has beer consumed for centuries without any reported adverse effects. However, due to its limited safety information, we decided to investigate the repeated-dose toxicity of ethanolic extract of Aralia elata. The test was administered once daily by the gavage to male and female rats at doses of 0, 250, 500 and 1,000 mg/kg/day for four weeks. Throughout the study, no treatment-related deaths or clinical signs were observed. Also, no apparent changes were detected in ophthalmoscopy, urinalysis, serum biochemistry, hematology and gross necropsy. The test result showed a significant decrease in body and heart weight of males treated with 250 mg/kg of extract of Aralia elata compared to normal control, a significant increase in relative brain weight and adrenal weight in females treated with 250 mg/kg of extract compared to normal control. However, all these changes were not considered toxicologically important due to irrelevant dose-response relationship to gross and microscopic findings. Histopathologically, abnormal changes were not observed in any target organs. On the basis of these results, the NOAEL of extract of Aralia elata was estimated to be more than 1,000 mg/kg/day under the tested conditions.

Keywords

References

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