Prenatal Developmental Toxicity Study of HEA-enriched Cordyceps Cicadae Mycelia in Sprague- Dawley Rats

Background: Cordyceps cicadae (C. cicadae) has been used in traditional medicine and is presently being developed for therapeutic purposes and dietary supplements. One of its effective bioactive ingredients is N-(2-hydroxyethyl) adenosine (HEA), which can exert an analgesic effect by inhibiting neurotransmitter release and can be used to ameliorate moderate to severe pain, including cancer pain. Although there have been extensive studies confirming its safety, the embryo-fetal development toxicity of HEA-enriched C. cicadae mycelia has not been evaluated. Methods: This study was to describe the potential adverse effects of orally administered HEA-enriched C. cicadae mycelia on fertility and early embryonic development to implantation in Sprague-Dawley rats at doses of 500, 1,000, and 1,500 mg/kg. Results: No external, visceral as well as skeletal abnormalities were noted among all groups. There were no statistically significant differences in the number of fetuses, corpora lutea, implantation sites, embryo resorptions, stillbirths, and post-implantation between all dosing groups. Moreover, there was no embryo-fetal developmental toxicity