Toxicity Assessment of Chinese Herbal Medicine Cynomorium songaricum Rupr

Abstract

Cynomorium songaricum Rupr, known as Suo Yang, is most commonly used to treat fatigue, protect the liver, and invigorate kidneys in Northwest China. Given the wide medicinal utilisation and lack of safety evaluation, this work evaluated the acute toxicity, genetic toxicity, and 90-day repeated oral toxicity of Suo Yang. Twenty Kunming mice were orally given Suo Yang once and observed for 14 days in the acute toxicity test. The genetic toxicity of Suo Yang was tested using in vivo and vitro assays (bacterial reverse mutation test, mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay, and spermatocyte chromosomal aberration assay). In the 90-day repeated oral toxicity study, 80 SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups and then orally given Suo Yang at different concentrations (1.04, 2.08 or 4.16 g/kg), while the control group was given sterile water. In the acute toxicity test, no abnormal behaviour or mortality was found in mice. The results suggest that the maximum tolerable dose of Suo Yang is greater than 15 g/kg. In the genotoxicity studies, no revertant colonies were produced in vitro. In the in vivo assays, no increased frequencies of micronuclei or structural abnormalities of spermatocyte chromosomes were found. In the 90-day repeated oral toxicity study, no significant toxicological manifestations were observed in haematological parameters or clinical and pathological examinations. In summary, these results suggest that Suo Yang at the given doses does not cause adverse effects in animals. Thus, Suo Yang can reasonably be considered a safe herbal medicine.

A 90-Day Oral Toxicity Study of an Ethanolic Root Extract of Caesalpinia bonduc (L.) Roxb. in Wistar Rats

“…The liver, kidney, testis, prostate, heart, and stomach were isolated and freed from the adhering connective tissues and rinsed in 0.9% sodium chloride solution prior to being weighted for absolute weight determination. Relative organ weight was calculated based on the following equation: relative weight = (weight of the organ/body weight of the animal on sacrifice day) × 100 [ 37 , 38 ].…”

Research Progress in Traditional Applications, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Safety Evaluation of Cynomorium songaricum

“…In acute toxicity experiments, the oral LD 50 of CSR aqueous extract exceeded 21.5 g/kg in all cases [ 167 ]. The results of another study indicated that the maximum tolerable dose of CSR in KM mice is greater than 15 g/kg [ 168 ], also providing evidence of CSR aqueous extract nonobvious toxicity.…”

“…As the third stage of food safety toxicological evaluation, a subchronic toxicity test was conducted for a ninety-day feeding trial. No significant toxicological findings were detected in hematological parameters or clinical and pathological examinations when feeding various concentrations of CSR aqueous extract (1.04 g/kg, 2.08 g/kg, 4.16 g/kg) to SD rats [ 168 ]. Three Doses of CSR aqueous extract (2.83 g/kg, 5.66 g/kg, 8.49 g/kg) were fed to Wistar rats in the same year’s research.…”