title: Safety Evaluation of Oral Toxicity of Carica papaya Linn. Leaves: A Subchronic Toxicity Study in Sprague Dawley Rats.
abstract: The subchronic toxicity effect of the leaf extract of Carica papaya Linn. in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats was investigated in this study. The extract was prepared by dissolving the freeze dried extract of the leaves in distilled water and was administered orally to SD rats (consisted of 10 rats/sex/group) at 0 (control), 0.01, 0.14, and 2 g/kg body weight (BW) for 13 weeks. General observation, mortality, and food and water intake were monitored throughout the experimental period. Hematological and biochemical parameters, relative organ weights, and histopathological changes were evaluated. The study showed that leaf extract when administered for 13 weeks did not cause any mortality and abnormalities of behavior or changes in body weight as well as food and water intake. There were no significant differences observed in hematology parameters between treatment and control groups; however significant differences were seen in biochemistry values, for example, LDH, creatinine, total protein, and albumin. However, these changes were not associated with histopathological changes. In conclusion, the results suggested that daily oral administration of rats with C. papaya leaf extract for 13 weeks at a dose up to fourteen times the levels employed in traditional medicine practice did not cause any significant toxic effect.
authors.affiliation: Herbal Medicine Research Center, Institute for Medical Research, Jalan Pahang, 50588 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Zakiah
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.affiliation: Herbal Medicine Research Center, Institute for Medical Research, Jalan Pahang, 50588 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Siti Zaleha
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2582-0107
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Halim
authors.affiliation: Herbal Medicine Research Center, Institute for Medical Research, Jalan Pahang, 50588 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ; Infectious Disease Research Center, Institute for Medical Research, Jalan Pahang, 50588 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Noor Rain
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Abdullah
authors.affiliation: Herbal Medicine Research Center, Institute for Medical Research, Jalan Pahang, 50588 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Adlin
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9050-4648
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Afzan
authors.affiliation: Herbal Medicine Research Center, Institute for Medical Research, Jalan Pahang, 50588 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Badrul Amini
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Abdul Rashid
authors.affiliation: Drug and Herbal Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jantan