title: Acute and sub acute toxicity and efficacy studies of Hippophae rhamnoides based herbal antioxidant supplement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Present study was carried out to evaluate acute and subacute toxicity and efficacy of Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) based herbal antioxidant supplement (HAOS).
  
  
  METHODS
  In vivo toxicity studies were performed in male balb 'C' mice by oral administration. Acute toxicity study was done at doses ranging from 2000 to 10 000 mg/ kg while in subacute studies, HAOS was given at doses of 2000, 4000, and 8000 mg/kg body weight. Animals were observed for any toxic sign and symptoms periodically. At completion of study animals were sacrificed; their hematological, biochemical parameters were analyzed and histopathology of vital organs was done. In vivo efficacy studies in human volunteers were done and the levels of vitamin A and Vitamin C in blood samples were analyzed in comparison to a similar commercially available formulation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No mortality and any clinical signs of toxicity were found in HAOS administered group of animals. There were no significant alterations in hematological and biochemical parameters. Histopathological analysis of vital organs showed normal architecture in all the HAOS administered groups. Human studies showed an increase of 32% and 172% in Vitamin A and Vitamin C levels respectively in term of bioavailability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data obtained indicate no toxicity of this antioxidant supplement up to the highest dose studied. Efficacy in terms of increased bioavailability of vitamin A and C in human volunteers indicates the clinical usefulness of the supplement.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Division, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Rashid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Raisuddin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Abhinav
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jaimini
authors.forename: Dhruv Kumar
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Nishad
authors.forename: Gaurav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.forename: Om Prakash
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Chaurasia
authors.forename: Raj
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Aseem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhatnagar
authors.forename: Shashi Bala
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood; D001682:Biological Availability; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D031281:Hippophae; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D011897:Random Allocation; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D028321:Plant Preparations; D014801:Vitamin A; D001205:Ascorbic Acid
keywords: Acute and subacute toxicity; herbal antioxidant supplement; histopathology and bioavailability; seabuckthorn