Abstract
Problem statement: Herbal remedies form one of the effective strategies for management of livestock healthcare. Despite the availability of extensive pharmacological information, the toxicological data on herbs and herbal preparations seem to be scanty. The objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the acute oral toxicity of some herbal veterinary preparations in albino Wistar rats. Approach: In the sighting study, the investigational substances (Rumbion™ and Tyrel™) were orally administered in sequential manner to one animal each at 2000 and 5000 mg kg-1 body weight followed by four animals at 5000 mg kg-1 body weight in the main study. The treated animals were observed for mortality, adverse clinical signs, changes in body weight gain and necropsy findings during the study. Results: The results of the present study revealed that the treated rats survived throughout the study period and did not exhibit any treatment related abnormal clinical signs at the tested dose levels. Overall, the percent body weight gain in rats treated with the herbal preparations was found to be normal during the 14 day observation period. Postmortem examination of rats did not reveal any major abnormalities. Conclusion: In summary, acute oral toxicity testing of herbal veterinary formulations did not cause any treatment-related adverse effects up to the dose level of 5000 mg kg-1 body weight and hence the tested products were labeled unclassified in the hazard category according to Globally Harmonised System.
Highlights
Traditional medicinal systems of many countries contain rich knowledge on phytomedicines
RumbionTM did not reveal any major adverse effect on the body weight gain except for one female rat treated at 5000 mg kg−1 in the main study, which showed reduced body weight gain during the first week of 14 day observation
One female rat in the sighting study and three animals in the main study treated at 5000 mg kg−1 revealed reduced body weight gain during the second week of 14 day observation period
Summary
Traditional medicinal systems of many countries contain rich knowledge on phytomedicines. As modern medicines are increasingly unaffordable for the rural poor and due to lack of availability of animal healthcare professionals in many of the developing countries, use of veterinary herbal medicines is on the rise, especially in areas where livestock play a pivotal role in rural economy (Sharma and Singh, 1989; Rao and Varma, 2008; Weldegerima et al, 2008). Herbal medicines are used in countries where conventional medicine is predominant in the national healthcare system (World Health Organization, 2000). Despite the popular use of herbal preparations for livestock disorders, there is limited scientific data available regarding safety aspects of these remedies (Aniagu et al, 2005). Published literature indicated the possible adverse effects and drug-herb interactions on use of herbal remedies (Brinker, 2000). Evaluation of safety of veterinary medicines for the target animals is a requirement of some international regulatory authorities and pertinent guidelines have been framed towards use of different approaches to acquire toxicological information on veterinary medicinal products (European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products, 1994)
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