Toxicological reproductive study of Cassia occidentalis L. in female Wistar rats

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology 2009-05, Vol.123 (1), p.163-166
• Main Authors: Aragão, T.P., Lyra, M.M.A., Silva, M.G.B., Andrade, B.A., Ferreira, P.A., Ortega, L.F., da Silva, S.D., da Silva, J.C.P., Fraga, M.C.C.A., Wanderley, A.G., Lafayette, S.S.L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adverse effects; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cassia occidentalis; Cassia occidentalis L; corpus luteum; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; embryo implantation; Fabaceae; Fedegoso; Female; females; Fetal Death; fetus; General pharmacology; genotoxicity; Leguminosae; litter size; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; medicinal properties; mutagenicity; oral administration; organogenesis; ovaries; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; placenta; Plant Extracts - toxicity; Pregnancy; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Reproduction - drug effects; reproductive toxicology; Senna occidentalis; Senna Plant - chemistry; subacute toxicity; temporal variation; tissue weight; Toxicology
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2008.11.030

Cassia occidentalis L. (Leguminosae) has long been used as natural medicine in rainforests and other tropical regions for the treatment of inflammation, fever, liver disorders, constipation, worms, fungal infections, ulcers, respiratory infections, snakebite and as a potent abortifacient. This study has investigated the effects of oral sub-acute administration of Cassia occidentalis during pregnancy in female Wistar rats. Three groups of pregnant rats were treated orally from the 1st to the 6th day (pre-implantation period) and from the 7th to the 14th day (organogenic period) of pregnancy, with doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg. On the 20th day of pregnancy, the animals were euthanized and reproductive parameters evaluated. The results revealed no statistically significant differences between the control and treated groups in terms of offspring/dam relationship; fetuses, placentae and ovaries weights; number of implantation and resorption sites; number of corpora lutea in the ovaries and pre- and post-implantation loss rates. However, the presence of dead fetuses was registered in both doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg of Cassia occidentalis. Further studies should therefore be conducted to obtain more detailed characteristics of the toxic effects of this species, the use of which is not recommended during pregnancy.