Toxicological study of Salix caprea inflorescence commonly used in Unani system of medicine.

Abstract

The present contribution is aimed towards toxicological evaluations of Salix caprea inflorescence (SCF). Toxicity due to acute (1 day) and subchronic (7, 14, 21 and 28 days) orally administrated doses of methanol extract in albino rats was evaluated using biochemical and haematological parameters. Estimation of toxic heavy metals (Pb, As, Hg, Cd, Co) by ICP/MS and AAS. Analysis of aflatoxins (B1, B1, G1, G1) by HPLC and microbial count was carried out as per procedures recommended by WHO. The results revealed that there were significant (p<0.05) differences (within normal range) between the feed and water consumption of normal rats and the test rats that received 28 days exposure to 400mg/kg of the extract. Data showed that methanol extract results in increase in glucose (GLU), total protein (TP), albumin (ALB) and decrease triglycerides (TG), creatine (CREA), cholesterol (CHO) but these changes were not significant. The changes in White Blood Cell (RBC), Red Blood Cell (RBC), Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), Hemoglobin (HGB), and monophiles (MONO) (p˃0.05) were also not significant. Whereas changes in platelets (PLT), esonophils (EO), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were statistically significant (P˂0.05) but within the normal range. The OWM values for Kidney, liver, spleen, lungs, reproductive organs and heart were not significantly (p>0.05) different from that of the control group. The mean total bacterial count was found 6×10 4 CFU/g, whereas total fungal count was 5×10 2 and other microbes were also within the WHO limits. So the use of this extract for therapeutic medication may not therefore be a health hazard.