ABSTRACT
Studies on pre-clinical toxicity were undertaken to determine the haematological and biochemical changes after administration of alcoholic extract of leaf-stalk of P. betle in rats and mice. Acute and chronic toxicity experiments were performed on mice and rats according to WHO protocol. Different doses of plant extractive were administered for toxicity studies on short and long term basis. Haematological, biochemical profiles and enzymatic studies (transaminases and phosphatases) indicated that the drug (plant extractive) was devoid of toxicity.
Subject(s)
Magnoliopsida/chemistry , Animals , Drug Evaluation, Preclinical , Enzymes/metabolism , Female , Kidney/drug effects , Liver/drug effects , Male , Mice , Organ Size/drug effects , Plant Extracts/administration & dosage , Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , RatsABSTRACT
Chronic administration (sc) of the extract of the stalk of P. betle at 30 mg/kg body weight daily for 21 days produced significant decrease in oestrogen and androgen dependent target organ weights along with increase in cholesterol in adrenal, ovary and testis. Acid and alkaline phosphatase activities in serum, liver and kidney did not exhibit any toxic effect. There was marked change in morphology of testis and ovary. Vaginal smear showed prolonged dioestrus in treated female. The treated male showed decreased number and motility of sperm. Both male and female remained infertile after treatment suggesting antifertility activity of the extract on both sexes of albino rats.