title: Acute and subchronic oral toxicity of Coriolus versicolor standardized water extract in Sprague-Dawley rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coriolus versicolor, which is known as Yun Zhi, is one of the commonly used Chinese medicinal herbs. Recent studies have demonstrated its antitumor activities on cancer cells which led to its widespread use in cancer patient. However, little toxicological information is available regarding its safety. The present study evaluated the potential toxicity of Coriolus versicolor standardized water extract after acute and subchronic administration in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  In acute toxicity study, Coriolus versicolor water extract was administered by oral gavage to Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (6 males, 6 females) at single doses of varying concentrations 1250, 2500 and 5000 mg/kg. In subchronic toxicity study, the extract was administered orally at doses of 1250, 2500 and 5000 mg/kg/day for 28 days to male and female SD rats respectively. General behavior, adverse effects and mortality were determined throughout the experimental period. Haematological and biochemical parameters, relative organ weights and histopathological were evaluated at the end of the experiment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no mortality and signs of toxicity in acute and subchronic toxicity studies. In the single dose acute toxicity and repeated dose 28-day subchronic toxicity studies, there were no significant difference in body weight, relative organ weight, haematological parameters, clinical chemistry, gross pathology and histopathology between treatment and control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Coriolus versicolor water extract did not cause remarkable adverse effect in SD rats. The oral lethal dose of Coriolus versicolor water extract is more than 5000 mg/kg and no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of the extract for both male and female rats is 5000 mg/kg per day for 28 days.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden 11800, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. sookyee4321@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sook Yee
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Hor
authors.forename: Mariam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Farsi
authors.forename: Chung Pin
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Mohd Zaini
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Asmawi
authors.forename: Mun Fei
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Yam
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000363:Agaricales / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009145:Mushroom Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D019055:No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors; D023382:Toxicity Tests, Acute; D059550:Toxicity Tests, Subchronic; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D015415:Biomarkers; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D012997:Solvents; D014867:Water