title: An evaluation of toxicity of Taxus baccata Linn. (Talispatra) in experimental animals.
abstract: A toxicological study was performed in albino mice and rat with methanolic extract and isolated alkaloid of Taxus baccata Linn. (family: Taxaceae). LD(50) study showed the higher toxic activity in stem (TXA-1,2,3) as compared with leaf (TXB-1,2,3) extract. As the extract were further fractionated into crude alkaloids and purified by chromatography the toxicity of these fractions were found to be in increasing order as follows: methanolic extract (1) < crude alkaloidal fraction (2) < purified alkaloidal fraction (3). The effects of leaf and stem extract of T. baccata were studied on certain biochemical and haematological parameters of mice and rat after 10, 20 and 30 days of exposure. Among the parameters examined, the exposed animal exhibited significant decrease in total leukocyte count (TLC), lymphocytes and cholesterol level (mg/dl), whereas increase was observed in serum transminases (SGOT, SGPT) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) of TXA-1 and TXB-1 treated groups indicating toxic conditions associated due to liver involvement.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Research Unit, Central Research Institute (Ay.), 474/6, Sitapur Road, 226020, Lucknow, India. kspklko@yahoo.com
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shanker
authors.forename: N K R
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Pathak
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Trivedi
authors.forename: J P N
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Chansuria
authors.forename: V B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Pandey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity*; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018515:Plant Leaves; D018547:Plant Stems; D051381:Rats; D043823:Taxoids; D020946:Taxus
chemical_list: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds; D043823:Taxoids; C080625:taxane