Acute and Sub-chronic (90 days) Toxicity Assessments of Hydroethanol Leaf Extract of Costus afer Ker Gawl (Costaceae) in Rodents
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20883/medical.e1465Keywords:
Costus afer, Costaceae, organ toxicity, sub-chronic toxicity, h\istological distortionsAbstract
Background. Costus afer is widely used in traditional medicine for diverse therapeutic purposes, yet its long-term safety profile remains poorly defined. This study evaluated the acute and 90-day sub-chronic oral toxicity of the hydroethanolic leaf extract of Costus afer and assessed the reversibility of observed effects after treatment withdrawal.
Material and methods. Acute toxicity was evaluated in mice following oral and intraperitoneal administration. Sub-chronic toxicity was assessed in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats administered the extract orally at 10, 50, or 250 mg/kg daily for 90 days, in accordance with OECD guideline 408, followed by a 30-day recovery period. Body weight, food and water intake, organ weights, haematological, biochemical, hormonal, urine, sperm parameters, and histopathology of major organs were evaluated.
Results. The oral LD₅₀ was greater than 2 g/kg, while the intraperitoneal LD₅₀ was 298 mg/kg. Sub-chronic administration produced dose- and sex-dependent effects. At 10–50 mg/kg, changes in body weight, haematological, biochemical, hormonal, and urine parameters were largely mild and reversible, with no histopathological lesions. However, at 250 mg/kg, the extract induced adverse effects, including reductions in body weight, alterations in lipid profile, elevations in hepatic enzymes, suppression of reproductive hormones, irreversible reduction in sperm count, and histopathological changes in the liver, kidney, and brain, which were mostly reversible except for selected reproductive indices.
Conclusions. Costus afer hydroethanolic leaf extract appears relatively safe at sub-therapeutic and therapeutic doses following repeated administration. However, prolonged exposure to high doses produces systemic and reproductive toxicity, underscoring the need for dose regulation and caution in its medicinal use. The NOAEL for the hydroethanol leaf extract of Costus afer was determined to be 50 mg/kg, while the LOAEL was 250 mg/kg.
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