Safety assessment of fermented jackfruit ( Artocarpus heterophyllus) pulp and leaves in Sprague-Dawley rats

Fermented jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) extracts were produced using pure symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) under controlled fermentation process. Both female and male Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administrated with 4,000 mg/kg of fermented jackfruit pulp and leaves extracts for 28 consecutive days. Body weight of rats was recorded at 1-week interval until necropsy day. There was no mortality reported along the experiment with no significant differences (p > .05) record among organ histopathology and blood biochemical parameters in treated groups when compared to control group. Interestingly, there were significant differences (p < .05) in the lower body weight gained of treated rats groups as opposed to control group, indicating the potential anti-obesity effect of fermented jackfruit extracts. In conclusion, no toxicity symptoms were observed in 28 days oral administration toxicity study of fermented jackfruit pulp and leaves extracts in Sprague-Dawley rats for both sexes.

Keywords: Sprague‐Dawley rats; fermentation; jackfruit leaves; jackfruit pulp; toxicity.