Evaluation of oral subchronic toxicity of Pu-erh green tea (camellia sinensis var. assamica) extract in Sprague Dawley rats.
BACKGROUND
Pu-erh green tea, originally produced in the Yunnan province of P.R. China for about 1700 years, is believed to be beneficial to health in Asian countries. The potential toxicity of Pu-erh green tea when administered at high doses via concentrated extract, however, has not been completely investigated.


OBJECTIVE
The present study was aimed to evaluate the potential toxicity of Pu-erh green tea extract (PGTE) of sub-chronic administration to Sprague Dawley (SD) rats.


METHODS
Growing SD rats were administrated orally by gavage with PGTE at doses of 0, 1250, 2500, and 5000 mg/kg/day for 91 consecutive days. Clinical observations, including survival, hematology, serum biochemistry, urinalysis and histopathological examination were measured to monitor treatment-related adverse effects in rats.


RESULTS
The results showed that oral administration of high dose of PGTE led to body weight gain suppression, liver and calcium deposition dysfunctions.


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, the no-observed-adverse-effect level for Pu-erh green tea extract derived from the results of the present study was 2500 mg/kg/day for both genders.
Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, PR China.
Di
D
Wang
Jie
J
Meng
Kunlong
K
Xu
Rong
R
Xiao
Mengjing
M
Xu
Yang
Y
Liu
Yaowu
Y
Zhao
Ping
P
Yao
Hong
H
Yan
Liegang
L
Liu
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D028241:Camellia sinensis; D005260:Female; D006403:Hematologic Tests; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D019055:No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D059550:Toxicity Tests, Subchronic; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
D010936:Plant Extracts; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D002118:Calcium