Astragaloside IV, a natural product purified from the Chinese medicinal herb Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch) Bge, is now being developed as a cardioprotective agent for treating cardiovascular diseases. In the present study developmental toxicity of astragaloside IV in Sprague-Dawley rats and New Zealand White rabbits was evaluated by intravenously administering astragaloside IV daily to rats at 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 mg kg(-1) on gestation days 6-15, and to rabbits at 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg kg(-1) daily on gestation days 6-18. Reproductive parameters were determined and fetuses were examined for external, visceral and skeletal malformations. There was significant difference in total weight gain during and after treatment between the control group and 1.0 mg kg(-1) group in rats. The percentage of fetal deaths in 0.5 and 1.0 mg kg(-1) rat groups was significantly higher than that of the control group, and higher in all treatment groups than in the control in rabbits. These results indicated that astragaloside IV was maternally toxic at 1.0 mg kg(-1) in rats and fetotoxic at a dose higher than 0.5 mg kg(-1), but devoid of teratogenic effects in rats and rabbits. In light of these findings it is perhaps prudent to advise caution to women who might use astragaloside IV to combat cardiovascular disease during pregnancy.
2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.