High dosage toxicity testing of medicinal herbs Momordica charantica, Emblica officinalis, Tribulus terrestris and Trigonella foenum graecium in albino mice: a pilot Study

The aim of the present study was to investigate the toxicological effects of medicinal herb extract of Momordica charantica, Emblica officinalis, Tribulus terrestris and Trigonella foenum graecium in Albino mice. The herbal extract was prepared by maceration of the fruits of these plant, procured locally. The extracts were dried and store separately. These were reconstituted separately with carboxy methyl cellulose and administered by oral route as per study design (OECD guidelines). The dose was administered and both food and water were withheld for a period of 2 hours post dosing. The animals were observed for 24 hours and no toxic effects were observed. There as zero percent mortality in the study animals. Hence the LD50 is above this high dose for these four medicinal herbal extracts. It can be concluded that maximum non-lethal dose for these four herbs is beyond 5000 mg/kg in the albino mice model. The four medicinal herbs can be administered at higher dose without encountering any toxic effect in albino mice model. Larger study with emphasis on chronic toxicity testing must be conducted in order to evaluate the effect of chronic exposure to these medicinal plants. The limitations of the present study were that no chronic toxicity, reproductive toxicity and geno-toxicity testing were done, however these have been planned to follow. However despite these limitations, the present pilot study is an attempt to assess the acute toxicity of high dosage of these four medicinal plants for the first time in albino mice model.