Abstract:The acute toxicity and subacute toxicity of an anthocyanins extract of Lycium ruthenicum (AEL) were evaluated. Acute oral toxicity test was performed in mice via intragastric administration of AEL 8 000 mg/kg once by a fixed dose method, and the toxicity responses of the mice were observed while their general states within 14 days were recorded. SD rats were selected for a 30-day feeding experiment, the changes of body weight and physical signs of rats were recorded during theadministration. At the end of the experiment, the biochemical indexes of urine, hematological indexes, and serum biochemical indexes were examined, the morphological changes in organs were observed, and the visceral body coefficient and visceral brain coefficient were calculated. The study revealed that in the acute toxicity test, no side effects was observed in mice, and their body weights increased normally with no obvious abnormalities detected in the anatomical organs. After continuous intragastric administration for 30 days, the rats in each experimental group showed no obvious toxic reaction, and their weights increased normally; Compared with the control group, the percentage of monocytes (M%) in the female high-dose group increased significantly (P<0.05) while their AST/ALT ratios decreased significantly (P<0.05); The serum Cl- and spleen coefficients of the male high-dose group were higher than those of the control group (P<0.05). The other urine biochemical indexes, hematological indexes, serum biochemical indexes, visceral coefficient and visceral brain coefficient of the rats in the experimental group did not show significant abnormalities. The results showed that the maximum tolerable dose for single intragastric administration of AEL to mice was not lower than 8 000 mg/kg, and no toxicity reaction was found in the rats after continuous intragastric administration for 30 days. AEL had no acute and subacute toxicities under the experimental conditions, exhibiting relatively high safety.
