Subchronic toxicity study of water pepper extract in F344 rats

Persicaria hydropiper (L.) Delarbre: A review on traditional uses, bioactive chemical constituents and pharmacological and toxicological activities

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Various plant parts of Persicaria hydropiper (L.) Delarbre (Syn.: Polygonum hydropiper L., Family: Polygonaceae) are used in traditional medicine systems as astringent, sedative, antiseptic and also for the treatment of respiratory disorders, edema and snake bites. It is also used as a spice in many Asian countries.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

The main aim of this review is to critically analyze the reported traditional uses, bioactive chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of P. hydropiper.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Scientific database including PubMed, Scopus, SciFinder and secondary resources including books and proceedings were searched using relevant terminologies related to P. hydropiper and available scientific information was critically analyzed.

RESULTS

Analysis of the scientific literature regarding the traditional uses revealed that P. hydropiper is used as a medicine and as spice in food preparations in various parts of the world. Various compounds including flavonoids, phenylpropanoid derivatives, and sesquiterpenoids among others were reported as active compounds. The extracts and compounds from P. hydropiper showed diverse biological activities including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cytotoxic, antimicrobial activities, etc. CONCLUSION: Although various research reports showed diverse biological activities for extracts and compounds obtained from P. hydropiper, very few studies were performed using animal models. Many of these studies also lacked proper experimental setting such as use of positive and negative controls and selection of dose as in most of these studies very high doses of extracts were administered. Further, as P. hydropiper is widely used in the treatment of snake bites and insect bites, such effects of extracts and/or compounds are not well explored. Future studies on P. hydropiper should be focused to establish the links between the traditional uses, active compounds and reported pharmacological activities.

Probing the Structure-Activity Relationship of the Natural Antifouling Agent Polygodial against both Micro- and Macrofoulers by Semisynthetic Modification

The current study represents the first comprehensive investigation into the general antifouling activities of the natural drimane sesquiterpene polygodial. Previous studies have highlighted a high antifouling effect toward macrofoulers, such as ascidians, tubeworms, and mussels, but no reports about the general antifouling effect of polygodial have been communicated before. To probe the structural and chemical basis for antifouling activity, a library of 11 polygodial analogues was prepared by semisynthesis. The library was designed to yield derivatives with ranging polarities and the ability to engage in both covalent and noncovalent interactions, while still remaining within the drimane sesquiterpene scaffold. The prepared compounds were screened against 14 relevant marine micro- and macrofouling species. Several of the polygodial analogues displayed inhibitory activities at sub-microgram/mL concentrations. These antifouling effects were most pronounced against the macrofouling ascidian Ciona savignyi and the barnacle Balanus improvisus, with inhibitory activities observed for selected compounds comparable or superior to several commercial antifouling products. The inhibitory activity against the microfouling bacteria and microalgae was reversible and significantly less pronounced than for the macrofoulers. This study illustrates that the macro- and microfoulers are targeted by the compounds via different mechanisms.

EVALUATION OF THE ACUTE AND SUBCHRONIC TOXICITY OF Aster tataricus L. F

BACKGROUND

Aster tataricus L. f. is used as a traditional Chinese drug to relieve cough and asthma symptoms and to eliminate phlegm. However, Aster tataricus L. f. possesses toxicity, and little systematic research has been conducted on its toxic effects in the laboratory.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

The acute group was administered 75% alcohol extract of Aster tataricus L. f. in a single dose. A subchronic toxicity study was performed via daily oral administration of Aster tataricus L. f. at a dose of 0.34 g/kg body weight in SD rats. The rats were divided into six groups: a petroleum ether extract (PEA) group, an ethyl acetate extract (EEA) group, an n-butyl alcohol extract (NEA) group, a remaining lower aqueous phases (REA) group, a 75% alcohol extract (AEA) group and a control group. Quantitative measurements of cytokines were obtained by fluorescence with a laser scanner using a Cy3 equivalent dye.

RESULTS

The LD₅₀ of the 75% alcohol extract of Aster tataricus L. f. was 15.74 g/kg bw. In the subchronic toxicity study, no significant differences were observed among groups in relative organ weights, urine traits, liver antioxidase levels, or cytokine levels. However, significant sporadic differences were observed in body weight gains, haematology indices, biochemistry values, and histopathology features in PEA, EEA group. In addition, sporadic changes in other groups in measures such as WBC, MCHC, CK, ALP, AST, ALT, LDH, T-BIL, LDL-C, HDL-C, and TC were observed.

CONCLUSION

The toxicity study showed that Aster tataricus L. f. can produce toxic effects, mainly on the liver; much less on the heart. The LD₅₀ was 15.74 g/kg BW in mice, and the subchronic toxicity study, used a dosage of 0.34 g/kg/d.BW, showed that the toxic components of Aster tataricus L. f. were mainly concentrated in the petroleum ether fraction, followed by the ethyl acetate fraction, the n-butyl alcohol fraction, the lower aqueous phase and the 75% ethanol extracts. Abbreviations: PEA, petroleum ether extract of Aster tataricus L. f.; EEA, ethyl acetate extract of Aster tataricus L. f.; NEA: n-butyl alcohol extract of Aster tataricus L. f.; REA: lower aqueous phases of Aster tataricus L. f.; AEA, 75% alcohol extract of Aster tataricus L. f.; WBC, white blood cell; RBC, red blood cell, PLT, platelet; HCT, haematocrit; MCV, mean corpuscular volume; HGB, haemoglobin; MCH, mean corpuscular haemoglobin; MCHC, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration; CREA, creatinine; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; T-BIL, total bilirubin; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; ALP, alkaline phosphatase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; TP, total protein; ALB, albumin; Glu, glucose; TC, total cholesterol; TG, triglycerides; CK, creatine kinase; GSH, Glutathione; MDA, malondialdehyde; T-SOD, total superoxide dismutase; TNF, tumour necrosis factor; IFN, interferon; MCP, monocyte chemotactic protein C.

Safety assessment of Maillard reaction products of chicken bone hydrolysate using Sprague-Dawley rats

Background

The Maillard reaction products of chicken bone hydrolysate (MRPB) containing 38% protein, which is a derived product from chicken bone, is usually used as a flavor enhancer or food ingredient. In the face of a paucity of reported data regarding the safety profile of controversial Maillard reaction products, the potential health effects of MRPB were evaluated in a subchronic rodent feeding study.

Methods

Sprague–Dawley rats (SD, 5/sex/group) were administered diets containing 9, 3, 1, or 0% of MRPB derived from chicken bone for 13 weeks.

Results

During the 13-week treatment period, no mortality occurred, and no remarkable changes in general condition and behavior were observed. The consumption of MRPB did not have any effect on body weight or feed and water consumption. At the same time, there was no significant increase in the weights of the heart, liver, lung, kidney, spleen, small intestine, and thymus in groups for both sexes. Serological examination showed serum alanine aminotransferase in both sexes was decreased significantly, indicating liver cell protection. No treatment-related histopathological differences were observed between the control and test groups.

Conclusion

Based on the results of this study, the addition of 9% MRPB in the diet had no adverse effect on both male and female SD rats during the 90-day observation. Those results would provide useful information on the safety of a meaty flavor enhancer from bone residue as a byproduct of meat industry.

Medicinal plants of the Russian Pharmacopoeia; their history and applications

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Due to the location of Russia between West and East, Russian phytotherapy has accumulated and adopted approaches that originated in European and Asian traditional medicine. Phytotherapy is an official and separate branch of medicine in Russia; thus, herbal medicinal preparations are considered official medicaments. The aim of the present review is to summarize and critically appraise data concerning plants used in Russian medicine. This review describes the history of herbal medicine in Russia, the current situation and the pharmacological effects of specific plants in the Russian Pharmacopoeia that are not included in the European Pharmacopoeia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Based on the State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR (11(th) edition), we selected plant species that have not yet been adopted in Western and Central Europe (e.g., selected for inclusion in the European Pharmacopoeia) and systematically searched the scientific literature for data using library catalogs, the online service E-library.ru, and databases such as Medline/Pubmed, Scopus, and the Web of Science regarding species, effectiveness, pharmacological effects, and safety.

RESULTS

The Russian Federation follows the State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR (11(th) edition), which contains 83 individual plant monographs. Fifty-one of these plants are also found in the European Pharmacopoeia and have been well studied, but 32 plants are found only in the Pharmacopoeia of the USSR. Many articles about these medicinal plants were never translated in English, and much of the information collected by Russian scientists has never been made available to the international community. Such knowledge can be applied in future studies aimed at a safe, evidence-based use of traditional Russian medicinal plants in European and global phytopharmacotherapy as well as for the discovery of novel leads for drug development.

CONCLUSION

The review highlights the therapeutic potential of these Russian phytopharmaceuticals but also highlights cases where concern has been raised about product safety and tolerability, which would aid in supporting their safe use.

Ethnobotanical, Phytochemical, Pharmacological, and Toxicological Aspects of Persicaria hydropiper (L.) Delarbre

Persicaria hydropiper (L.) Delarbre, belonging to Polygonaceae family, is a common weed found in most of the temperate countries including Bangladesh, China, Malaysia, and Japan. The plant is also referred to as “marsh pepper” or “smart weed.” It appears to be a useful herb with evidence-based medicinal properties. The present work addresses the botanical description, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of P. hydropiper. All plant parts have been commonly used in the traditional systems of medicines. Flavonoids are the major group of phytochemical components followed by drimane-type sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenoids, as well as phenylpropanoids. Different extracts and plant parts showed remarkable pharmacological activities including antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antihelminth, antifeedant, cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, oestrogenicity, antifertility, antiadipogenicity, and neuroprotection. Mutagenicity and acute and subchronic toxicities of the plant were also reported. P. hydropiper has tremendous medicinal properties that could further be investigated for the development of evidence-based herbal products.

Acute and Subchronic Toxic Effects of the Fruits of Physalis peruviana L

The fruit of Physalis peruviana L. (PPL) has been traditionally used as antispasmodic, diuretic, antiseptic, sedative, and analgesic all over the world. We aimed to perform qualitative content analysis of the fruits of PPL and to clarify the in vitro genotoxicity and in vivo acute and subchronic toxicity of the fruit. Lyophilized fruit juice does not induce genetic damage. In the acute toxicity studies, LD50 value of the fruit was found to be more than 5000 mg kg⁻¹ for both sexes. According to the subchronic toxicity studies, hepatic, renal, and hematological toxic effects were not induced in both sexes. Plasma troponin I (only in the group treated with 5000 mg kg⁻¹ of lyophilized fruit juice) and troponin T levels were significantly increased in male groups treated with lyophilized fruit juice compared to the control group. Furthermore, potassium level was significantly increased in the male group treated with 5000 mg kg⁻¹ of lyophilized fruit juice. These findings were considered to indicate the myocardial damage particularly in the male group treated with 5000 mg kg⁻¹ of lyophilized fruit juice. In conclusion, lyophilized fruit juice of PPL is shown to induce cardiac toxicity only at high doses and in male gender.

Toxicity assessment of Leonuri Herba aqueous extract orally administered to rats for 13 consecutive weeks

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The Leonuri Herba has been traditionally used for women's disease in Asian countries.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the subchronic toxicity of Leonuri Herba aqueous extract in male and female F344 rats.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Leonuri Herba aqueous extract was administered orally once daily at dose levels of 0, 125, 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg/day for 13 weeks. Toxicological assessment was performed including mortality, clinical signs, body and organ weights, food consumption, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, serum chemistry, gross findings and histopathologic examination.

RESULTS

There were no treatment related differences in clinical signs, urinalysis, hematology and serum chemistry, except for a histopathologic examination. The squamous cell hyperplasia in the forestomach was observed in both sexes of rats given 2000 mg/kg/day of Leonuri Herba aqueous extract.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Leonuri Herba aqueous extract was determined as 1000 mg/kg/day in both sexes of rats under the present experimental conditions. And the acceptable daily intake value for Leonuri Herba aqueous extract was calculated to be 10mg/kg body weight per day using a safety factor of 100 to the NOAEL.

Lac color inhibits development of rat thyroid carcinomas through targeting activation of plasma hyaluronan-binding protein

Coccid-derived natural food colorants contain active ingredients that potentiate inhibition of tissue proteolysis mediated by activation of plasma hyaluronan-binding protein (PHBP). In the present study, we examined the effect of lac color (LC) and cochineal extract (CE), representative coccid-derived colorants containing laccaic acid and carminic acid as active ingredients, in an intracapsular invasion model of experimental thyroid cancers using rats. One week after initiation with N-bis(hydroxypropyl)nitrosamine, male F344/NSIc rats were fed a powdered diet containing 5.0% LC or 3.0% CE during promotion with 0.15% sulfadimethoxine (SDM) in the drinking water for 13 weeks. Capsular invasive carcinomas (CICs) and lung metastases were decreased by LC treatment and accompanied by transcript downregulation on angiogenesis and PHBP-related tissue proteolysis in CICs. In contrast, CE upregulated angiogenesis-related genes in CICs. PHBP was expressed in capsular macrophages and thyroid proliferative lesions with increased intensity in CICs, and LC decreased PHBP-expressing CICs. The size of CICs and their proliferation activity, however, were unchanged compared with those treated with SDM alone. Suppression of cancer by invasion by LC was more evident after an eight-week treatment, exhibiting a profound decrease in tenascin-C-positive early invasive foci and marked reductions in capsular inflammation and fibrosis. These results suggest that LC and CE exerted dissimilar effects on CIC development, the former suppressing the initial step of neoplastic cell invasion into the capsule by targeting PHBP activity of macrophages and neoplastic cells on tissue proteolysis involving inflammatory responses and angiogenesis, and the latter promoting angiogenesis of developed CICs at later stages.

A 13-week subchronic toxicity study of madder color in F344 rats

A 13-week repeated oral dose toxicity study of madder color (MC), a natural food colorant extracted from the roots of Rubia tinctorum L., was performed using F344 rats. Five groups of animals, each consisting of 10 males and 10 females, were fed diet containing 0, 0.6, 1.2, 2.5 or 5.0% MC for 13 weeks. During the experiment, lower body weight was evident from the 2.5% dose. Hematologically, fluctuation in red blood cell (RBC) parameters suggestive of weak anemia (females), and slight increases of platelet counts (both sexes) and white blood cell (WBC) counts (males) were observed at higher doses. Serum biochemically, slight fluctuations were observed in many parameters, including increased total protein (TP), conjugated bilirubin, Ca, and inorganic phosphate, and decrease of the albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio in both sexes, with dose-dependence for TP and A/G from 0.6% in females. Histopathological changes were mainly observed in the renal proximal tubules, such as microvesicular vacuolar degeneration in the cortex and karyomegaly in the outer medulla involving both sexes, lesions being evident even with 0.6%. In the outer medulla, elevation of cell proliferation activity as assessed with proliferating cell nuclear antigen was observed in males from 2.5%. Severity of focal necrosis of hepatocytes was increased only in females at 5.0%, while the increased relative liver weight as with the increased conjugated bilirubin was evident in both sexes from 1.2%. The results thus suggest that MC exerts mild toxicity, targeting liver, kidneys, and possibly RBCs and WBCs, some renal changes being evident from 0.6% in diet, that is attributable to be the lowest-observed adverse effect level (305.8-309.2mg/kg body weight/day).