title: Evaluation of acute and sub-acute toxicity ofPinus eldaricabark extract in Wistar rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pinus eldarica(P. eldarica) is one of the most common pines in Iran which has various bioactive constituents and different uses in traditional medicine. Since there is no documented evidence forP. eldaricasafety, the acute and sub-acute oral toxicities of hydroalcoholic extract ofP. eldaricabark were investigated in male and female Wistar rats in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the acute study, a single dose of extract (2000 mg/kg) was orally administered and animals were monitored for 7 days. In the sub-acute study, repeated doses (125, 250 and 500 mg/kg/day) of the extract were administered for 28 days and biochemical, hematological and histopathological parameters were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed no sign of toxicity and no mortality after single or repeated administration ofP. eldarica.The median lethal dose (LD50) ofP. eldaricawas determined to be higher than 2000 mg/kg. The mean body weight and most of the biochemical and hematological parameters showed normal levels. There were only significant decreases in serum triglyceride levels at the doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg of the extract in male rats (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively) and in monocyte counts at the highest dose of the extract in both male and female rats (p<0.05). Mild inflammation was also found in histological examination of kidney and liver tissues at the highest dose of extract.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral administration of the hydroalcoholic extract ofP. eldaricabark may be considered as relatively non-toxic particularly at the doses of 125 and 250 mg/kg.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Islamic Azad University, Shahreza Branch, Shahreza, Iran.
authors.forename: Akram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghadirkhomi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Isfahan Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Safaeian
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Behzad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zolfaghari
authors.affiliation: Isfahan Center of Public Health Training and Research, Institute of Public Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Science, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Agha Ghazvini
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Seyed-Al-Shohada Hospital, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Parisa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rezaei
keywords: Hematology; Histopathology; Pinus eldarica; Serum biochemistry; Toxicity