Subchronic oral toxicity of Rabella powder in experimental rats
Main Article Content
Abstract
It has recently become obvious that the prevalence of obesity has been rapidly increasing in Vietnam, as well as other countries, over the past two decades. There has been a current trend for researchers to discover new natural ingredients which are safe and effective in the treatment of obesity. RABELLA powder was a herbal-derived product which contained Amorphophalus konjac (K. Koch starch). This plant was used as an oral medication for controlling body weight in the past as well as in the present. So far, the safety of this product, has not been reported yet in Vietnam. Thus, this study was designed to assess the subchronic toxicity of RABELLA powder in Wistar rats. The method used in this study followed the guidance of the World Health Organization and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development; 2 oral doses of 1.2 g/kg b.w/day and 3.6 g/kg b.w/day was administered to rats for 12 consecutive weeks. The results show that RABELLA powder caused no significant change in the general condition, hematological indexes, functions and microscopic images of livers and kidneys. We conclude that RABELLA powder did not cause subchronic toxicity in experimental rats. Moreover, this also revealed partly the safety of RABELLA powder in clinical practice.
Article Details
Keywords
RABELLA powder, Amorphophalus konjac K. Koch, subchronic toxicity, rats
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