title: Acute toxicity of seeds of the sapodilla (Achras sapota L.).
abstract: An aqueous extract of the sapodilla seed (Achras sapota L.) was acutely toxic to mice and rats (i.p. LD50 = 190 and 250 mg/kg, respectively) with symptoms of dyspnoea, apnoea and convulsions. Soxhlet extraction and chromatographic separation of the seed constituents yielded a brown amorphous solid containing saponin. This was heat-stable and toxic by the i.p. route (LD50 = 30-50 mg/kg) but non-toxic by the oral route in mice and rats. It is proposed that the toxicity of the sapodilla seed is due mainly to the saponin content.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001049:Apnea / Q000139:chemically induced; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000139:chemically induced; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000633:toxicity*; D010947:Plants, Toxic / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012639:Seeds / Q000032:analysis; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts