A 90-Day Repeated Oral Dose Toxicity Study of Alismatis Rhizoma Aqueous Extract in Rats

• Published in: Toxicological research (Seoul) 2019, 35(2), , pp.191-200
• Main Authors: Lee, Mu-Jin, Jung, Ho-Kyung, Lee, Ki-Ho, Jang, Ji-Hun, Sim, Mi-Ok, Seong, Tea-Gyeong, Ahn, Byung-Kwan, Shon, Jin-Han, Ham, Seong-Ho, Cho, Hyun-Woo, Kim, Yong-Min, Park, Sung-Jin, Yoon, Ji-Young, Ko, Je-Won, Kim, Jong-Choon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomedicine; Original; Original Article; Pharmacology/Toxicology; 예방의학
• ISSN: 1976-8257; 2234-2753
• DOI: 10.5487/tr.2019.35.2.191

Alismatis rhizoma (AR), the dried rhizome of Alisma orientale (Sam.) Juzep, is a well-known, traditional medicine that is used for the various biological activities including as a diuretic, to lower cholesterol and as an anti-inflammatory agent. The present study was carried out to investigate the potential toxicity of the Alismatis rhizoma aqueous extract (ARAE) following 90-day repeated oral administration to Sprague-Dawley rats. ARAE was administered orally to male and female rats for 90 days at 0 (control), 500, 1,000 and 2,000 mg/kg/day ( n = 10 for male and female rats for each dose). Additional recovery groups from the control group and high dose group were observed for a 28-day recovery period. Chromatograms of ARAE detected main compounds with four peaks. Treatment-related effects including an increase in the red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, albumin, total protein, and urine volume were observed in males of the 2,000 mg/kg/day group ( p < 0.05). However, the diuretic effect of ARAE was considered, a major cause of hematological and serum biochemical changes. The oral no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of the ARAE was > 2,000 mg/kg/day in both genders, and no target organs were identified.