Evaluation of acute oral toxicity of Hab-o Shefa in rats

Abstract Background and Objective: Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) has a long history in the prevention and treatment of diseases. Clinical uses, side effects, and toxic effects of many singular and compounds were known to scientists of ITM and articular books on toxicology and detoxification of drugs has been written by scientists, but their measurement tools to evaluate chronic toxicity of drugs are limited. Hab-o Shefa is a combination drug which has an important place in Iranian Traditional Medicine to cure drug addiction. According to the attention of people to traditional medicine and expanding the use of natural drugs, and also, more attention to treatment of addicts, clinical studies on its toxicology are required. However, we decided to do oral toxicity study of this combination in rats. Materials and Methods: Acute oral toxicity of Hab-o Shefa in male Wistar rats was evaluated using doses of 200, 500, 1500, 2000, 3000, 4000, and 5000 mg per kg of body weight. Protocol that we used to define acute toxicity and determine LD50 of Hab-o Shefa was based on the method that proposed by Mr. Smith and colleagues (1960) and the changes to it ​​by Mr. Van Dan Howell in 1990. Results and Conclusion: The results showed apparently no toxicity and mortality in rats. Histopathological studies of the vital organs of rats at these dosages did not show any histological abnormalities.