Safety Profile of Aqueous Extract from Traditional Recipes in the Royal Textbook of King Rama V in Albino Wistar Rats

Abstract

An assessment was conducted on the acute toxicity of an aqueous extract derived from King Rama V's Royal Handbook antidiabetic herbal formula in albino Wistar rats. The extract is composed of six medicinal plants from Thailand. The OECD guidelines specified doses of 5, 50, 300, and 2,000 mg/kg of aqueous extract, with the control group receiving distilled water. Both male and female rats received a single dose and were monitored daily for a period of 14 days. Body weights were recorded during Weeks 0, 1, and 2. Following the studies, we documented the weights of internal organs. Blood biochemistry, including BUN, Cr, AST, ALT, ALP, TG, TC, and HDL, along with liver and kidney histology and hematological parameters such as RBC, Hb, Hct, PLT, MCV, MCH, MCHC, WBC, lymphocytes, and monocytes, were thoroughly examined. The results indicated that there were no fatalities among the rats over a 14-day period and that none of the administered doses of the formulation produced any signs or symptoms of toxicity within the initial 24 hours. All treatments lead to significant weight gain (p<0.05) in rats while not impacting organ weights. The extract did not adversely affect hematological parameters or the morphology of blood cells. Treatment at 300 and 2,000 mg/kg significantly influenced blood biochemical parameters, including AST, ALT, and ALP levels (P<0.05). However, these levels were within acceptable ranges. A close look at tissue sections under a microscope showed that the liver and kidneys had the same histology as the negative control group.