Constituents of aromatic plants: teucrin A.
Teucrium chamaedrys L. (Labiatae), a herb used to combat obesity, can occasionally cause hepatitis. All mutagenicity tests done were negative. After 13 weeks of administration by oral route in Sprague Dawley rats T. chamaedrys proved to be well tolerated at 0.056 g kg(-1) day(-1) (i.e. 0.4 mg kg(-1) day(-1) of teucrin A). At this dose the compound induced minor effects on body weight of both males and females and slight, reversible liver changes, confined to females, which mainly consisted of hepatocellular hypertrophy. This modification, in absence of other morphological findings can be considered an adaptative metabolic, rather than toxic effect.
De Vincenzi
M
M
Department of Metabolism and Pathological Biochemistry, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. mbpsegr@iss.it
Maialetti
F
F
Silano
M
M
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D045785:Diterpenes, Clerodane; D005260:Female; D019686:Lamiaceae; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013141:Spiro Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D004224:Diterpenes; D045785:Diterpenes, Clerodane; D013141:Spiro Compounds; C092787:teucrin A