Toxicity evaluation of sappan wood extract in rats.

BACKGROUND

The heartwood of Caesalpinia sappan L. or sappan wood has long been used in folk medicines to treat tuberculosis, diarrhea, dysentery, skin infections and anemia.

OBJECTIVE

To study the acute and subacute toxicities of sappan wood extract in rats.

METHODS

For studying acute toxicity, a single oral dose of 5000 mg/kg of sappan wood was administered to rats. Subacute toxicity was studied by the daily oral administration of the extract at the doses of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight for consecutive 30 days.

RESULTS

The extract of sappan wood (5000 mg/kg) showed no toxicity in terms of general behavior change, mortality, or change in gross appearance of internal organs. Subacute toxicity study showed no abnormalities in treatment groups as compared to the controls. Body and organ weights, hematological, blood chemical, necropsy, and histopathological parameter of all groups were similar.

CONCLUSIONS

Sappan wood extract did not produce any acute or subacute toxicity in both female and male rats.