ACUTE TOXICITY STUDY OF Sinapis alba AQUEOUS EXTRACT IN SWISS ALBINO MICE
MOUNIRA MERGHEM
Laboratory of Phytotherapy Applied to Chronic Diseases, Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, Ferhat Abbas University, Sétif 1, Algeria.
KHADIDJA DEHIMI *
Laboratory of Phytotherapy Applied to Chronic Diseases, Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, Ferhat Abbas University, Sétif 1, Algeria and Faculty of Sciences, University of M’sila, 28000, Algeria.
SALIHA DAHAMNA
Laboratory of Phytotherapy Applied to Chronic Diseases, Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, Ferhat Abbas University, Sétif 1, Algeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Sinapis alba or white mustard is a medicinal plant that belongs to the brassicaceae family. It is traditionally used to draw blood away from underlying infections and to act as a counterirritant. The aim of this study is to evaluate the oral acute toxicity of aqueous extract from Sinapis alba on male Swiss Albino mice. Animals were divided into three groups, each group containing three mice. The first group received normal saline and was used as control; Mice of the second and third groups received the plant extract at doses of 2 g/kg and 5 g/kg body weight of animals, respectively. The mice were monitored for 14 days for their general behavior, adverse effects and mortality. The results showed that no death was recorded among animals; Furthermore, the extract did not cause any changes in body and organs weights. Although S. alba extract was found to be safe on kidneys, it caused an increase in alanine aminotransferase levels.
Keywords: Sinapis alba, aqueous extract, acute toxicity, biochemical analysis, body weight