Chronic toxicity study of stem bark powder of Kanchanara ( Bauhinia variegata L.) in albino rats

Stem bark of Kanchanara (Bauhinia variegata L., Family-Caesalpiniaceae) is used in Ayurvedic system of medicine, either as a single drug or as ingredient of compound formulations. The present study was carried out to evaluate the toxicity of stem bark where its powder suspension was administered in Therapeutic Equivalent Dose (TED) (350mg/kg/day) in TED group and five fold of TED (1800 mg/kg/day) in TED× 5 group for sixty days in albino rats. Control group received distilled water. Parameters like body weight, weight of important organs, biochemical, hematological were studied along with histopathology of vital organs. Kanchanara at both the dose levels significantly increased the weight of spleen and thymus. Decreased HDL cholesterol and direct bilirubin were observed in both the treated group while decreased blood urea was observed in TED×5 group. Significant increase in platelet count and significant decrease in haemoglobin and lymphocyte count were observed in TED×5 treated group. In histopathological study, destruction of epithelial layer of stomach was observed in majority of the sections in TED×5 dose groups compared to control group. Thus, toxicity profile obtained from the present study showed that B. variegata bark is likely to produce toxic effect when administered in a five times dose in powder form.