Abstract
Background
Averrhoa carambola fruit is consumed by many people because of its sweetness and medicinal values. However, there is a dearth of researched information on its complete toxicity profile. This study investigated the possible toxicity potentials of star fruit juice in female albino rats.
Methods
Thirty-five rats assigned into seven groups of five rats each and administered with varying doses (0, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 and 5000 mg/kg) of the juice were used for acute toxicity studies. Another 20 rats assigned to four groups (A–D) of five rats each were administered the juice at 0, 600, 400 and 200 mg/kg body weight orally for 28 days. On the 29th day, whole blood, sera and vital organs were collected for hematological, serum biochemical and histopathological analyses, respectively.
Results
Acute study results indicate that the juice was safe even at 5000 mg/kg after 48 h. In the subacute studies, there were no significant (p < 0.05) differences in all hematological parameters, total protein, albumin and globulin values of the treated groups compared with those of the control group. The aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities, as well as urea, creatinine and malondialdehyde values of the rats treated with the juice were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those of the control rats in a dose-dependent manner. The liver and kidney histomorphologies of the rats treated with the juice showed lesions of degeneration and necrosis when compared with those of the control.
Conclusion
The juice of A. carambola is both nephrotoxic and hepatotoxic but had no deleterious effects on the hematology.
Acknowledgments
The authors appreciate the assistance of the farm manager, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria for granting us access to the A. carambola tree for collection of the fruit.
Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Research funding: No funding was received for this work.
Competing interests: Authors declare no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval: Research involving animals complies with all relevant national regulations and institutional policies (ECUN: 170947) for the care and use of animals.
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Artikel in diesem Heft
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- Acute and subacute toxicity evaluation of calcium carbide and ethylene glycol in Wistar albino rats
- Evaluation of the possible hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic potentials of the Averrhoa carambola juice extract in female albino rats
- Chlorpyrifos and its metabolite modulates angiogenesis in the chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryo
- Prescribing pattern of antihypertensive medication and adherence to Joint National Commission-8 guidelines in a rural tertiary care Indian teaching hospital
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Artikel in diesem Heft
- Minireview
- Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of mitragynine, the principle alkaloid of Mitragyna speciosa: present knowledge and future directions in perspective of pain
- Original Articles
- Trehalose protects against spinal cord injury through regulating heat shock proteins 27 and 70 and caspase-3 genes expression
- Evaluation of cytogenotoxic potential of Morinda lucida leaf extract on Swiss albino male mice using two bioassays
- Acute and subacute toxicity evaluation of calcium carbide and ethylene glycol in Wistar albino rats
- Evaluation of the possible hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic potentials of the Averrhoa carambola juice extract in female albino rats
- Chlorpyrifos and its metabolite modulates angiogenesis in the chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryo
- Prescribing pattern of antihypertensive medication and adherence to Joint National Commission-8 guidelines in a rural tertiary care Indian teaching hospital
- Assessment of cardiac risk in chronic asymptomatic alcoholics using blood pressure and electrocardiogram, and the relation with duration of drinking
- Effect of ghrelin on VEGF-B and connexin-43 in a rat model of doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy
- In vitro antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties of the n-butanol fraction of Senna podocarpa (Guill. and Perr.) leaf
- Blood pressure-reducing activity of Gongronema latifolium Benth. (Apocynaeceae) and the identification of its main phytochemicals by UHPLC Q-Orbitrap mass spectrometry
- Evaluation of the anticonvulsant and anxiolytic-like activities of aqueous leaf extract of Cymbopogon citratus in mice
- Terpenoids and phytosteroids isolated from Commelina benghalensis Linn. with antioxidant activity
- Miscellaneous
- Suspected reactivation of extrapulmonary tuberculosis focus after non-medical abuse of anabolic androgenic steroids: a case report
- Acknowledgment