Toxicological reproductive study of Cassia occidentalis L. in female Wistar rats.
BACKGROUND
Cassia occidentalis L. (Leguminosae) has long been used as natural medicine in rainforests and other tropical regions for the treatment of inflammation, fever, liver disorders, constipation, worms, fungal infections, ulcers, respiratory infections, snakebite and as a potent abortifacient.


OBJECTIVE
This study has investigated the effects of oral sub-acute administration of Cassia occidentalis during pregnancy in female Wistar rats.


METHODS
Three groups of pregnant rats were treated orally from the 1st to the 6th day (pre-implantation period) and from the 7th to the 14th day (organogenic period) of pregnancy, with doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg. On the 20th day of pregnancy, the animals were euthanized and reproductive parameters evaluated.


RESULTS
The results revealed no statistically significant differences between the control and treated groups in terms of offspring/dam relationship; fetuses, placentae and ovaries weights; number of implantation and resorption sites; number of corpora lutea in the ovaries and pre- and post-implantation loss rates. However, the presence of dead fetuses was registered in both doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg of Cassia occidentalis.


CONCLUSIONS
Further studies should therefore be conducted to obtain more detailed characteristics of the toxic effects of this species, the use of which is not recommended during pregnancy.
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, 50740-521, Brazil.
T P
TP
Aragão
M M A
MM
Lyra
M G B
MG
Silva
B A
BA
Andrade
P A
PA
Ferreira
L F
LF
Ortega
S D
SD
da Silva
J C P
JC
da Silva
M C C A
MC
Fraga
A G
AG
Wanderley
S S L
SS
Lafayette
D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D029846:Senna Plant / Q000737:chemistry*
D010936:Plant Extracts