ABSTRACT
With this study we evaluated the effects of the herb rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L. Lamiaceae) extract on the labeling of blood constituents with technetium-99m (99mTc) labeled sulphur colloid and on the biodistribution of 99mTc-Sulphur Colloid in Wistar albino rats. For this purpose, two groups of animals (male wistar rats, 130-140 g) were treated (1 mL) with a rosemary extract (750 mg/kg body wt.,n=9) and water (control, n=9) separately by gavage for five days. 99mTc-Sulphur Colloid was administrated by intravenous injection; organs/tissues were withdrawn and weighted. Blood was centrifuged, plasma and blood cells were isolated. The radioactivity was counted to calculate the percentage of activity per gram for each organ/tissue and percentage of activity in blood cells and plasma. A significant increase (p<0.05) in the uptake of 99mTc-Sulphur Colloid in the liver after the treatment with rosemary extract was observed. These results indicate that the substances or metabolites of the rosemary extract would change the biodistribution of99mTc-Sulphur Colloid.