Subacute toxicity of Berberis vulgaris L Aqueous Extract in Atherosclerotic- induced Rabbit

Objective : Berberis vulgaris L is widely used in traditional medicine to treat various type of diseases. The evaluation of toxic properties of B. vulgaris L is crucial when considering public health protection because exposure to plant extracts can result in undesirable effects on consumers. Method : In this study, the subacute oral toxicity of B. vulgaris aqueous extract was investigated in atherosclerotic-induced rabbit for ten weeks. This include to determine toxicity effect of BVAE on liver function test (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase), renal function (urea and creatinine) and histopathological changes. Result: Oral administration of aqueous extract at the dose of 25mg/kg and 50mg/kg for ten weeks resulted in no mortality or evidence of adverse effects, implying that B. vulgaris in nontoxic. there were no any significant elevations observed in the biochemical analysis of the blood serum. Further, histopathological examination revealed normal architecture and no significant adverse effects observed on the kidney and liver. Conclusion : Overall, the results suggest that, the oral administration of B. vulgaris aqueous extract did not produce any significant toxic effect in atherosclerotic-induced rabbit. Hence, the extract can be utilized for pharmaceutical formulations at these concentrations.