title: Safety profile and gender specific differences of a methanol extract of Eriosema laurentii (Leguminosae) in acute and subchronic (28 days) oral toxicity studies in Wistar rats.
abstract: Despite widespread use of Eriosema laurentii De Wild (Leguminosae) in West and Central Africa as herbal medicine and food additive the toxicity of this plant is unknown. Therefore, we performed the safety evaluation of a methanol extract (AEL). In acute toxicity, single oral administration of 2000mg/kg AEL caused neither toxicological symptoms nor mortality and the LD50 was estimated >5000mg/kg. In the subchronic oral toxicity, AEL induced no phenotypical signs of toxicity during and after treatment. Only a delayed decrease of relative spleen weight in males at the highest dose of 400mg/kg occurred. High density lipoprotein (HDL) increased significantly in females at 200 and 400mg/kg. Non-persistent increases in alanine aminotransferase activity within normal ranges were noted at 200mg/kg in males and at all doses in females. In males, AEL induced a decrease of white blood cell count at 400mg/kg, whereas lymphocytes increased at 200 and 400mg/kg and granulocytes at 400mg/kg. In females, no differences in haematological parameters occurred. Neither differences in bilirubin, creatinine and total protein levels were observed nor histological alterations in organs. The results indicate a broad safety margin for AEL.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, P.O. Box 812 Yaounde, Cameroon; Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Sylvin Benjamin
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Ateba
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, P.O. Box 812 Yaounde, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Rudy Valdès
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Simo
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and Laboratory of Molecular and Metabolic Medicine, Biotechnology Center, University of Yaounde I, P.O. Box 1364 Yaounde, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Jean Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mbanya
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Liselotte
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Krenn
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, P.O. Box 812 Yaounde, Cameroon. Electronic address: dnjamen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Dieudonné
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Njamen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008297:Male; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012737:Sex Factors; D023382:Toxicity Tests, Acute; D059550:Toxicity Tests, Subchronic
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D000432:Methanol
keywords: Acute toxicity; Eriosema laurentii De Wild; Subchronic toxicity; Wistar rats