SAFETY ASSESSMENT OF PARTIALLY PURIFIED HDL ENHANCING PHYTOCOMPONENTS FROM DESMODIUM GYRANS DC

Desmodium gyrans (Fabaceae) is a less explored plant belonging to medicinally important genera Desmodium. A recent investigation has reported hypolipidemic and HDL enhancing efficacy of crude alcoholic extract (DGM) of the whole plant. Chromatographically purified aqueous fraction (DGMAF) rich in terpenoids and phenolics exhibited HDL enhancing and reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) promoting activity that may impart atheroprotective potential to this active fraction. Present study was aimed to evaluate the acute and sub-acute oral toxicity of DGMAF in Wistar rats of either sex following OECD guide lines to ensure its safety upon long term exposure. Acute oral dose of 5g/kg body weight did not produce any behavioural abnormality, weight changes or mortality over 14 day period. Necropsy studies revealed no incongruity to internal organs. Further, oral sub-acute doses of 100, 250, and 500 mg/kg body wt for 60 days did not show reduction in body and organ weight, food and water intake. Hematological parameters and biochemical analytes inclusive of hemoglobin, urea, creatinine, total and direct bilirubin, serum GOT, GPT, and ALP did not show statistically significant differences between the untreated control and treated groups. No morphological changes were observed in the histological analysis of the major vital organs including liver, kidney, spleen and intestine. The result of this study thus suggests that DGMAF might be non-toxic at normal therapeutic doses.