Toxicity Assessment of Asteraceae Centaurea Repens L Extract in Mice

Abstract

The species Asteraceae Centaurea repens (Asteraceae), known as Acroptilon repens, and Talkhe in persian is used in folk medicine as an emetic, anti-epileptic, and anti-malaria herb in many parts of the world but its toxic effects have not determined yet. This study aimed to evaluate the acute and subchronic toxicity of this extract to find its possible adverse health effects through clinical, hematological, biochemical, and histopathological endpoints in both gender of mice. Aerial parts of the plant were air-dried and the terpene extract of aerial parts of plant was provided by percolation using methanol, petroleum ether, and diethyl ether. All clinical, biochemical and histopathological changes were assessed in appropriate endpoints and compared with control group. Although no mortality was seen in acute study by administrating doses up to 2000 mg/kg, repeated dose study on 1000 mg/kg doses in 28 days in both genders showed liver necrosis and rise of liver enzymes (p-value < 0.05). Histopathological studies didn’t show any other organ toxicity in dosed up to 1000 mg/kg. At the same time this study showed for the first the antihyperlipidemic properties of the aerial extract of Acroptilin in mice model. The pharmacological and histopathological results of the present study proved that the total parts of Acroptilon repens could be studied for supporting the traditional assertion in folk medicine to heal hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and cancer in lower doses although we performed the present study and concluded liver toxicity by subchronic use of Acropitolon repens extract.