Safety assessment of <i>Linum usitatissimum</i> (Linn.) Ingestion in New Zealand rabbits

Abstract

Background: The therapeutic safety of herbal medicine is a major concern for consumers and users. After studying the effects of linseed on hair growth in rabbits, the turn is to evaluate its safety by the observation of some clinical, biological and anatomo-pathological aspects. Materials and Methods: A study was conducted during a period of three months on two groups of rabbits (control and test). Test group daily received feed supplemented with 3g of ground linseed while the control animals received the same feed without any additives. Weekly, rabbits were weighed and monthly blood samples were taken. By the end of the trial, liver and kidneys biopsies were analyzed for histological and cytological lesions. Results: There was no significant improvement in weight gain in the test group rabbits, in which biochemical parameters had differentially evolved with a decrease in their Glycemia and cholesterolemia. There were also no modifications in their serum hepatic and renal marker enzymes and their liver and kidneys exhibited noticeably normal histology without any anatomically detectable anomalies. Conclusion: These findings confirm that prolonged linseed ingestion in rabbits is safe.

EVALUATION OF CRUDE FLAXSEED (Linum usitatissimum L.) OIL IN BURN WOUND HEALING IN NEW ZEALAND RABBITS

“…Its components have showed antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerosis properties (Prasad, 2000). Daily flaxseed consumption is safe (Beroual et al, 2016) and it protects gastric and urinary tracts membranes, heals scars, protects inflamed skin, improves its elasticity and nourishes and regulates also hair follicles cycle (Halligudi, 2012). These properties have motivated us to investigate the effects of linseed oil topical application on burn wounds healing in adult male New Zealand rabbits.…”

Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) Extract Activity on Human Oral Fibroblasts (HOrF) Cell Line

“…In addition, it contains high amounts of omega-3 fatty acid, polyunsaturated linolenic acid, α-linolenic acid, phenolic compounds and lignan [3, 4 5]. Flaxseed has been reported to exert a wide variety of health benefits and forms an important part of the healthy functional food group; it is also considered safe for daily human consumption [6].…”