Acute toxicity and cytotoxicity evaluation of Dendrobium moniliforme aqueous extract in vivo and in vitro / 한국실험동물학회지

Dendrobium moniliforme (L.) Sw., an herb of the Orchidaceae family, has long been used in traditional medicine to strengthen bones, nourish the stomach, and promote the production of bodily fluid. Recently, polysaccharides isolated from Dendrobium have been used in functional foods and nutraceutical products. A traditional method to process Dendrobium is to soak fresh stems in an ethanol solution, which is the most important factor to ensure high yields of aqueous-extractable polysaccharides. The present study was carried out to investigate the potential acute toxicity of D. moniliforme aqueous extract (DMAE), by a single oral dose in Sprague-Dawley rats. The test article was orally administered once by gavage to male and female rats at doses of 0, 2,500, and 5,000 mg/kg body weight (n=5 male and female rats for each dose). Throughout the study period, no treatment-related deaths were observed and no adverse effects were noted in clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, serum biochemistry, organ weight, or gross findings at any dose tested. The results show that a single oral administration of DMAE did not induce any toxic effects at a dose below 5,000 mg/kg in rats, and the minimal lethal dose was considered to be over 5,000 mg/kg body weight for both sexes. With respect to cytotoxicity, the cell viability of human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells was less than 50% when the cells were treated with 10 mg/mL aqueous extract for 24 h.

Ofidismo: incidencia y complicaciones, estudio realizado en el hospital “Dr. Verdi Cevallos Balda”, de Portoviejo, Provincia Manabí / Ophidian: general aspects and incidences research done at Dr. Verdi Cevallos Balda Hospital in Portoviejo, Province Manabí

Tipo de estudio: Retrospectivo realizado en el hospital provincial Dr. Verdi Cevallos Balda de Portoviejo, desde enero de 1998 a diciembre 2000, se tomó una muestra de 41 pacientes de un universo de 125.Objetivo: Demostrar que en Manabí la incidencia de mordeduras de ofidios es alta comparándola con otros países.Resultados: La especie involucrada en todos los casos fue la X perteneciente al género Bothrops. La incidencia y la tasa de letalidad fue de 0.52 y 7.69 en 1998; 2.01 y 3.85 en el 2000, cifras que son mayores que en Nicaragua y Costa Rica donde la misma especie de serpiente causó accidentes. Se evidenció una disminución en la tasa de letalidad en el último año. Las complicaciones dieron valores semejantes a los presentados en otros países; ocurrió la muerte de 1 paciente (11.11%) después de haberle realizado fasciotomía.Conclusión: Los accidentes fueron causados por serpientes del género Bothrops; la mayoría de personas afectadas trabajan en agricultura.

Type of research: It is a research done at Dr. Verdi Cevallos Balda hospital in Portoviejo, during January 1998 to December 2000. 41 patients were studied out of 125 that were observed.Objective: The objective of this research was to demonstrate that in the province of Manabi the incidence of snake bites is higher in comparison to other countries. Results: the species involved is X with belongs to the Bothrops species. The Incidence and the lethal rate was in 1998 0.52 and 7.69; 2.01 and 3.85 in 2000 these numbers are higher than in countries like Costa Rica and Nicaragua where the same species causes a lot of accidents. The Lethal rate has gone done this past year.