title: Acute and 30-day oral toxicity studies of administered carnosic acid.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increasing interest in carnosic acid (CA) is due to its pharmacological properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute and 30-day oral toxicity of CA.
  
  
  METHODS
  The acute oral toxicity study in Kuming mice design followed the OECD-guidelines 423, and a 30-day chronic oral toxicity study in Wistar rats based on the enhanced OECD test guideline 407 were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The oral lethal dose (LD50) for mice was 7100 mg/kg of body weight in the acute toxicity study. The histopathological changes were observed in the heart, liver and kidney for the survival mice treated with a single dose CA. For the sub chronic toxicity study, CA administered for 30 days produced slightly reductions in the weight gain pattern, which did not reach the significant level when compared with the control values. With respect to serum biochemistry test, decreased total serum protein levels, but conversely increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were detected in the high-dose and moderate-dose groups. Histopathologically, light pathological changes were observed in the heart, liver, and kidney of rats treated with the high-dose CA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present work suggests that a short-term oral administration of CA has a relatively low toxicity profile.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tumor Prevention and Treatment Center, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Qun Lu
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xin Xiang
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chun Yong
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ning Xiao
authors.initials: NX
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Liang Xue
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D045784:Abietanes / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009929:Organ Size; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D023382:Toxicity Tests, Acute; D036401:Toxicity Tests, Chronic
chemical_list: D045784:Abietanes; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; C018381:salvin