Toxicological and cytogenetic assessment of a Salacia oblonga extract in a rat subchronic study

Food Chem Toxicol. 2007 Oct;45(10):1954-62. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2007.04.013. Epub 2007 May 3.

Abstract

Salacia oblonga holds potential as a natural method to mitigate the blood glucose response for people with diabetes by inhibiting the activity of intestinal alpha-glucosidases. As part of a safety evaluation of novel ingredients for use in blood glucose control, the toxicity of a S. oblonga root extract (SOE) was evaluated in a subchronic 90-day feeding study in rats. An in vivo-in vitro rat peripheral blood lymphocyte chromosomal aberrations assay was added at termination of the subchronic rat study to examine cultured lymphocytes for possible chromosomal aberration induction. This was conducted due to a previous weak; although reproducible, positive chromosomal aberrations response in cultured peripheral blood human lymphocytes after acute in vitro treatment with SOE. The present study results indicate that SOE was negative for the induction of chromosomal aberrations in cultured rat peripheral blood lymphocytes after 90 consecutive days of treatment with SOE. The no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL) was determined to be 2,500 mg/kg/day following daily subchronic oral gavage administrations to rats.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Cell Count
  • Body Weight / drug effects
  • Chromosome Aberrations / drug effects*
  • Coloring Agents
  • Eating / drug effects
  • Ethanol
  • Eye Diseases / chemically induced
  • Eye Diseases / pathology
  • Female
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • Lymphocytes / ultrastructure
  • Male
  • Mutagens / toxicity*
  • No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level
  • Ophthalmoscopy
  • Organ Size / drug effects
  • Plant Extracts / toxicity
  • Rats
  • Salacia / chemistry*
  • Salacia / toxicity*
  • Sex Characteristics
  • Solvents
  • Survival Analysis
  • Water

Substances

  • Coloring Agents
  • Mutagens
  • Plant Extracts
  • Solvents
  • Water
  • Ethanol