title: Acute and subchronic toxicity as well as mutagenic evaluation of essential oil from turmeric (Curcuma longa L).
abstract: The present study investigated the acute, subchronic and genotoxicity of turmeric essential oil (TEO) from Curcuma longa L. Acute administration of TEO was done as single dose up to 5 g of TEO per kg body weight and subchronic toxicity study for thirteen weeks was done by daily oral administration of TEO at doses 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5 g/kg b.wt. in Wistar rats. There were no mortality, adverse clinical signs or changes in body weight; water and food consumption during acute as well as subchronic toxicity studies. Indicators of hepatic function such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were unchanged in treated animals compared to untreated animals. Oral administration of TEO for 13 weeks did not alter total cholesterol, triglycerides, markers of renal function, serum electrolyte parameters and histopathology of tissues. TEO did not produce any mutagenicity to Salmonella typhimurium TA-98, TA-100, TA-102 and TA-1535 with or without metabolic activation. Administration of TEO to rats (1 g/kg b.wt.) for 14 days did not produce any chromosome aberration or micronuclei in rat bone marrow cells and did not produce any DNA damage as seen by comet assay confirming the non toxicity of TEO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Amala Cancer Research Centre, Amala Nagar 680555, Thrissur, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Vijayasteltar B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Liju
authors.forename: Kottarapat
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jeena
authors.forename: Ramadasan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuttan
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000187:drug effects; D020552:Comet Assay; D030024:Curcuma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity; D019055:No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D023382:Toxicity Tests, Acute; D059550:Toxicity Tests, Subchronic; D016482:Urinalysis
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010936:Plant Extracts; C012596:turmeric extract