EVALUATION OF ACUTE ORAL TOXICITY OF NIGELLA SATIVA LINN SEED METHANOLIC EXTRACT IN MICE
Imtiyaz Ahmad*, Jagrati Tripathi, Manik Sharma, Amit Nayak
ABSTRACT
Nigella sativaL. is widely used in traditional medicine to treat various
types of ailments and has been described as the future of
pharmacology.The evaluation of toxic properties of N. sativa L.is
crucial when considering public health protection because exposure to
plant extracts can result in undesirable effects on consumers. Modern
regulatory systems contain extensive requirements for safety testing of
new chemical products before they enter the stream of commerce.
Hence, in this study the acute oral toxicity of N. sativa L. seeds extract
was investigated in mice. Oral administration of crude extract at the
highest dose of 2000 mg/kg resulted in no mortalities or evidence of adverse effects,
implying that N. sativa L. seed extract is nontoxic. Throughout 14 days of the treatment no
changes in behavioral pattern, clinical sign and body weight of mice in both control and
treatment groups. Also macroscopic examination of the organs of the animals treated with
extract showed no changes in color. Overall, the results suggest that, the oral administration
of N. sativa L. seedmethanolic extract did not produce any significant toxic effect in
mice.Further, examination revealed normal architecture and no significant adverse effects
observed on the kidney, heart, liver, lung and spleen. Hence, theextract can be utilized for
pharmaceutical formulations.
Keywords: Nigella sativa L, Oral toxicity, organ weight, methanol extract.
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