Toxicological safety evaluation in acute and 28-day studies of aqueous extract from Bei-Qi-Wu-Jia formula

Toxicological safety evaluation of zengye granule through acute and 30-day toxicity studies in rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Zengye granule (ZYG), a traditional Chinese medicine formula composed of Radix Scrophulariae, Radix Ophiopogonis, and Radix Rehmanniae in the ratio of 1.0:0.8:0.8, is listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia for treating diseases associated with yin deficiency, such as inner heat, dry mouth and pharynx, and dry bound stool. However, little information is available on its toxicological safety.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To evaluate the acute and subacute toxicity of ZYG after oral administration in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In the acute toxicity study, ZYG was orally administered to rats at a single dose of 10 g/kg/day. In the subacute toxicity study, ZYG was administered orally to rats at repeated daily doses of 2.5, 5.0, or 10 g/kg/day for 30 days. The toxicological effects were evaluated by assessing the rats' general behavior, body weight, food intake, water consumption, blood biochemical and hematological parameters, organ coefficients, and organ histopathology.

RESULTS

No obvious adverse reactions were found in the rats in the acute toxicity study, indicating that ZYG was non-toxic. In the subacute toxicity study, ZYG had no toxic effect on the rats at a dose of 2.5 g/kg/day but showed slight toxicity in the kidneys, and spleens of the rats at doses of 5 and 10 g/kg/day. Significant drug toxicity was observed in male and female rats at 5 and 10/kg/day; however, elevated WBCs counts, ALT, and LYMs levels were found in female rats.

CONCLUSIONS

The oral administration of ZYG at a dose of less than 10 g/kg/day for 1 day or 2.5 g/kg/day for 30 consecutive days can be considered safe, as these doses showed no distinct toxicity or side effects in the rats in this study. Therefore, the dosage should be set according to the clinically recommended dosage to ensure its safety.

Pilot study of toxicological safety evaluation in acute and 28-day studies of selenium nanoparticles decorated by polysaccharides from Sargassum fusiforme in Kunming mice

The monodisperse and nearly spherical selenium nanoparticles decorated by polysaccharides from Sargassum fusiforme (SFPS-SeNPs) were prepared, characterized, and evaluated in acute and 28-day toxicological safety studies. In the acute toxicity study, mice underwent oral administration of 26.94, 40.28, 60.21, 90.11, and 134.70 mg Se/kg of SFPS-SeNPs for 14 days. In the 28-day study, mice underwent a daily oral administration of 17.75, 8.87, and 4.43 mg Se/kg/day of SFPS-SeNPs, 4.43 mg Se/kg/day of Na2 SeO3 , and normal saline for 28 days. The animals' general behavior, body weight, biochemical and hematologic parameters, organ coefficients, pathological morphology, Se content, and accumulation rate of Se in vital organs were determined. Results showed that the median lethal dose was 88.76 Se mg/kg and no observed adverse effect level was 4.43 mg Se/kg/day for 28 days. Compared with Na2 SeO3 , SFPS-SeNPs may lead to slightly higher toxicological effects, and it probably accumulates in the liver in the oral dose of 4.43 mg Se/kg/day in Kunming mice. SFPS and nanotechnology can reduce the toxicity of selenium, and SFPS-SeNPs or SeNPs-polysaccharides can be potential candidates for drug delivery and food supplement. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Selenium nanoparticles decorated by polysaccharides from Sargassum fusiforme can improve the stability and reduce the toxicity of selenium nanoparticles. These results of the toxicological safety evaluation can lay the foundation for the safe utilization of selenium nanoparticles decorated by polysaccharides and expand their application in the field of food and medicine.

Evaluation of toxicological safety and quality control of Luobufukebiri pill

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The Luobufukebiri pill is one of the characteristic medicines of Uygur nationality in Xinjiang. It has the effect of warming and tonifying the brain and kidney, benefiting the heart and filling the essential functions, mainly used to treat impotence, depression, spermatorrhea, premature ejaculation, bodily weakness, emaciation, and neurasthenia.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study evaluated the toxicology and developed a quality control protocol of Luobufukebiri pill to ensure its safety and effectiveness in clinical applications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Acute toxicity in mice was studied by the maximum-dose method, and the toxic reactions in mice were observed within two weeks. In the study of Sub-chronic toxicity, SD rats were randomized into four groups: three drug groups which were treated with 8.00, 2.67, and 0.80 g/kg of Luobufukebiri pill, respectively, and one control group which was treated with the same volume of distilled water. Subsequently, at 30 days of medication and 30 days of drug withdrawal, the hematologic indexes, biochemical indexes, organ coefficient, and pathological sections of main organs were detected, respectively. According to the prescription, the contents of 8 active components in the pill were quantified simultaneously. The chromatographic conditions were as follows: Stepwise gradient elution was carried out using 0.1% formic acid (solvent A) and acetonitrile (solvent B), 0-8 min, 80% → 60% B; 8-25 min, 60% → 25%B. The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min, the column was maintained at 25 °C, and the injected sample volume was 10 μL.

RESULTS

The acute toxicity experiment documented a large dose of Luobufukebiri pill had no significant effect on organ and body weight and did not cause apparent damage to parenchymal organs. At Sub-chronic toxicity, the behavior of rats was as normal as the control group. There were some differences in hematologic indexes, serum biochemical indexes, and organ coefficient tests between the drug and control groups, but they had no toxic significance. No obvious pathological changes were observed in the pathological sections of major organs. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the clinical dose of Luobufukebiri pill was far less than its toxic dose, and it had reliable safety. The contents of eight index components of Luobufukebiri pill were measured. All calibration curves exhibited good linearity with correlation coefficients better than 0.9997. The relative standard deviations of precision, reproducibility, stability, and recovery were less than 2.0%, demonstrating the stability and reliability of the method.

CONCLUSIONS

This study further confirmed the safety of Luobufukebiri pill in clinical practice. A rapid, accurate, and convenient RP-HPLC-PDA detection method has been developed for the simultaneous detection of eight active compounds in the pharmaceutical samples of Luobufukebiri pill. This study provided a reference for the safety and enhancement of the quality standards of Luobufukebiri pill.

Toxicological Safety Evaluation in Acute and 21-Day Studies of Ethanol Extract from Solanum lyratum Thunb

Solanum lyratum (Solanaceae) is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used to remedy cold fever, damp-heat jaundice, herpes, and nephritis dropsy. Despite its obvious therapeutic advantages, few toxicological studies have involved the efficacy and safety of its long-term treatment. To investigate the acute and subchronic toxicity of the extract of 75% ethanol extract of whole Solanum lyratum (ESL) after oral administration in mice. In acute toxicity experiment, mice were intragastric administration with ESL at doses of 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, or 5000 mg/kg for 1 day. In a subchronic toxicity experiment, mice were intragastrically administration with ESL at doses of 180, 360, and 720 mg/kg and 0.9% saline for 21 days. Weight gain, hematological, biochemical, and histopathological analysis of vital organs were evaluated. The presence of aristolochic acid I in ESL was studied using UPLC-QTOF-MS. Phytochemical analysis indicated that the presence of aristolochic acid I in ESL was 0.0025 mg/g. This relatively low concentration is not enough to cause toxicity. In the acute toxicity experiment, neither mortality nor clinical alterations were shown, except for the mild transient diarrhea at 5000 mg/kg. So the LD₅₀ value of ESL was assessed to be more than 5000 mg/kg. In the subchronic toxicity experiment, neither mortality nor treatment-related clinical signs were observed. There was a significant increase in body weight, hemoglobin (HB), and urea nitrogen (BUN) after administration with ESL at 180 mg/kg. In addition, the weight of the stomach was increased and the hematocrit (HCT) was decreased after administration with ESL at 360 mg/kg. The changes were not considered treatment-related toxicological effects because the toxicity and histopathological analysis indicate that the extracts are safe for oral administration.

Toxicological safety evaluation of Qiguiyin formula in rats at the treatment phase and recovery phase

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Qiguiyin, a hospital preparation of traditional Chinese medicinal formula, is a combination of Astragalus hamosus L., Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Lonicera sempervirens L., Artemisia annua L., and Polygonum cuspidatum Siebold & Zucc. at a ratio of 12:3:3:2:2. It has been used to treat severe pneumonia caused by drug-resistant bacteria in clinical practice, while studies on its toxicological safety are rare in the literature.

AIM OF THE STUDY

In the present study, we aimed to develop a new application of Qiguiyin according to the general research routine of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and the toxicological effects of the Qiguiyin formula at the treatment phase and recovery phase were also evaluated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The rats were administered with the Qiguiyin formula at 10, 30, and 50 times of the corresponding dosage in humans for 13 consecutive weeks. During 13 weeks of the treatment phase and 4 weeks of the recovery phase, the general signs of toxicity and mortality were monitored daily, and the body weight and food consumption were determined every week. Moreover, the hematology, biochemistry, urine, organ weights, and histopathology were analyzed, and the reproductive system was examined at the end of the treatment phase or recovery phase, respectively.

RESULTS

The toxicological results showed no deaths and no changes in general behavior. Moreover, there was no clinically significant effect of the Qiguiyin formula on body weight or food consumption in rats. Although the Qiguiyin formula resulted in some changes in hematological, biochemical, and urinary indexes, these alterations were not related to the treatment because they remained within normal ranges throughout the 17 weeks. Besides, the main organs were not affected basically. All the above-mentioned results showed no gender difference. Furthermore, a clinical dosage of 50 times of the Qiguiyin formula did not affect the reproductive system of female rats, while it could lead to atrophied seminiferous tubules in two out of 10 male rats. However, such abnormality could not be found at the end of the recovery phase.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the Qiguiyin formula could be used safely. The administration at doses of less than 1000 g/day for 13 weeks showed no distinct toxicity or side effects.

A review of Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr and Maxim.) harms: From ethnopharmacological use to modern application

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Acanthopanax senticosus (AS), previously classified as Eleutherococcus senticosus, is one of the most commonly used herbs in the Chinese materia medica. However, there is currently no comprehensive review summarising advances in AS research. AS has been used as a functional food and in various preparations since ancient times, to invigorate the liver and kidneys, replenish vitality, strengthen the bones, stimulate appetite, and improve memory. It is widely used in countries such as China, Korea, Japan, and Russia, for specific pharmacologic effects, although it contains various chemical components that ensure its broad-spectrum effect. Its chemical constituents mainly include glycosides and flavonoids. Over the past several decades, researchers worldwide have conducted systematic investigations on this herb. AS has positive pharmacological effects on the cardiovascular, central nervous, and immune systems. Representative pathways stimulated by AS are related to neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, cancer, and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B signalling. Importantly, AS is safe and exerts no significant adverse effects at normal doses.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To provide comprehensive insights into the ethnobotany, medicinal uses, chemical composition, pharmacological activity, and toxicology of AS to aid its future development and utilisation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Information about AS was collected from various sources, including classic books about Chinese herbal medicine and scientific databases including scientific journals, books, and pharmacopoeia. We discuss the ethnopharmacology of AS from 1965 to 2020 and summarise the knowledge of AS phytochemicals, pharmacological activity, quality control, and toxicology.

CONCLUSIONS

From the current literature, we conclude that AS is a promising dietary Chinese herb with various potential applications owing to its multiple therapeutic effects.