Abstract:
To provide toxicological evaluation basis for the safe consumption of Thymus quinquecostatus Celak, the acute toxicity, genotoxicity and subacute toxicity of T. quinquecostatus Celak extract (Tq-E) was conducted in the present study. The acute toxicity test, Ames test, mouse bone marrow cell micronucleus test, mouse sperm abnormality test and thirty-day drug feeding test were used according to the National Health Food Test and Technical Evaluation Standard. The results showed that no poisoning or death was found after the administartion in the maximum doses of 60g/kg for Kunming mice and 30g/kg for SD rats. The number of mutant colonies of TA97a, TA98, TA100, TA102 and TA1535 test strains at 5 doses of 5000, 1581, 500, 158.1 and 50 ug/plate were all 2 times lower than that of the negative control group. There was no significant difference in the sperm deformity rate between the different dose groups and the negative control group (p>0.05). Except for the low dose group, the incidence of micronuclei in the high and middle dose groups were significantly changed (p<0.01). The body weight of male rats of the middle dose group was inhibited, but the weight of female rats increased, and i the food utilization rate of animals ncreased. RBC and HGB in the blood increased significantly, while HCT, MCV, MCHC and RDW-CV increased a little. The results of blood biochemical examination indices showed that AST decreased significantly, CHO and TG levels increased in female mice, and the levels of UREA and GLU decreased significantly in both male and female mice, compared with the control group. No obvious histopathological changes was observed in other organs except liver and kidney. Acute toxicity test and Ames test had no significant effects, and had no teratogenic effects on mouse spermatozoa. Within the range of test dose, Tq-E had certain toxicity to micronucleus of bone marrow cells, and had potential hypoglycemic activity. Tq-E might activate the sex hormone system, hematopoietic system and muscle function of male animals, and the high dose of Tq-E had certain toxicity to the liver and kidney of rats. The results demonstrated that Tq-E is safe and reliable in a certain dose range, and this experiment will provide toxicological evaluation data for the safe consumption of T. quinquecostatus Celak.
