Toxicological evaluation of Oviductus ranae: Acute, sub-acute and genotoxicity studies in mice and rats

Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance Oviductus ranae (OR) is a traditional animal-based Chinese medicine, which has been listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia since 1985 edition. Although its medicinal application has been widely acknowledged, there is little available information on its potential toxicity. Aim of the study The aim of this study was to investigate the acute, sub-acute, and genetic toxicities of OR. Materials and methods In acute toxicity evaluation, OR was administered orally to mice at doses of 2.5, 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 g/kg BW for one time. Mortality, clinical signs, and body weight were observed for 14 days after treatment. In sub-acute toxicity evaluation, OR was administered orally to rats once a day for 28 consecutive days at doses of 1.75, 3.50, and 7.00 g/kg BW. Animals were observed for general behaviors, mortality, food intake, and body weight changes. At the end of treatment, relative organ weight, pathology, hematological and biochemical parameters were monitored. In genotoxicity evaluation, bacterial reverse mutation assay (Ames test) was performed by treating OR with four different Salmonella typhimurium strains at doses of 8, 40, 200, 1000, and 5000 μg/plate without or with S-9 mix, respectively. The genotoxicity of OR was also evaluated by micronucleus and sperm malformation assays in mice at doses of 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 g/kg BW, respectively. Results The results of acute toxicity study showed that the LD 50 value of OR is higher than 20.0 g/kg BW in mice. Death and abnormal clinical symptoms were not found during the period of experiment. In sub-acute toxicity, we found that the no-observed-adverse-effect levels (NOAEL) of OR in rats is up to 7.00 g/kg BW. No statistically significant or toxicologically relevant defferences in body weight, food intake, relative organ weight, pathology, hematological and biochemical parameters were observed, when compared with control group. Results of Ames test, micronucleus and sperm malformation assays indicated that OR has no mutagenicity in vitro at a limited dose of 5000 μg/plate, and dose not induce micronuclei and sperm malformation in mice at the dose of up to 10.0 g/kg BW in mice. Conclusions In conclusion, OR is a tranditional Chinese medicine with high safety.