Abstract
Background: Traditionally, Opuntia stricta has been used to manage diabetes mellitus in many parts of the world, including Zambia. However, while a few studies elsewhere have assessed the safety of Opuntia stricta, no study to date has established its safety in Zambia. The study aimed to evaluate the acute toxicity of Opuntia Stricta cladode (OSC) on Wistar albino rodents.
Methods: At dosages of 0.5 g/kg, 1 g/kg, and 2 g/kg per os (p.o), an acute oral toxicity test was conducted in Wistar rats. Over a period of 14 days, all the groups of animals were watched for indications of pharmacotoxicity signs, mortality, and compared with the respective controls. Subsequently, tests for liver and kidney function, blood profile, relative organ weight, and histological examinations of the liver and kidney were conducted.
Results: The results showed that oral administration of methanolic extracts of Opuntia stricta cladodes (0.5 g/kg, 1 g/kg, and 2 g/kg) to Wistar rats for 14 days produced no observable behavioral changes (including restlessness, agitation, diarrhea, dullness, or convulsions), and no mortality occurred compared with the vehicle control group (p > 0.05). Furthermore, relative organ weights, biochemical and hematological parameters, as well as liver and kidney histology, did not differ significantly from the vehicle control group (p > 0.05). Therefore, the median lethal dose (LDâ‚…â‚€) of the methanolic extract of Opuntia stricta cladodes was greater than 2000 mg/kg.
Conclusion: These results led to the conclusion that Opuntia Stricta extract for short-term use is non-toxic via the oral route
Keywords: Acute toxicity; cladodes; Opuntia stricta; Wistar albino rodents.
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