Objective: To evaluate the toxicological safety of Wen Radix Codonopsis.
Methods: According to the national standards of food safety(GB 15193.3-2014, GB 15193.4-2014, GB 15193.5-2014, GB 15193.8-2014, GB 15193.13-2015), acute oral toxicity test, three genetic toxicity tests(including bacterial recovery mutation test, mammalian erythrocyte micronucleus test and mouse spermatocyte chromosome aberration test) and subchronic toxicity test were conducted in this study.
Results: The LD_(50) of Wen Radix Codonopsis to KM mouse was more than 38.72 g/kg, which was actually non-toxic according to the acute toxicity grading standard of mouse. The results of three genetic toxicity tests were negative and no obvious genotoxicity was observed. 90-day oral toxicity test showed that the overall growth condition of the rats in each group was good, and the test index result of each test group showed no statistical significance compared with the negative control group, and all of them were within the normal range in our laboratory. No abnormality was observed in gross anatomy, and no histopathological changes and specific lesions associated with the test substances were found.
Conclusion: No obvious acute oral toxicity, genetic toxicity and subchronic toxicity were observed in Wen Radix Codonopsis under the present conditions.
Keywords: Wen Radix Codonopsis; safety evaluation; toxicology.