Acalypha paniculata (AP) is a subshrub traditionally used in ethnomedicine for treating skin diseases, asthma, and inflammatory conditions. This research focuses on the eco-friendly synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles derived from the Acalypha paniculata herb. The safety profile of Acalypha paniculata-based silver nanoparticles (APSN), particularly regarding behavioral, biochemical, and histopathological aspects, has not been thoroughly investigated. This study evaluated the acute and sub-acute toxicity of APSN in rats, adhering to OECD guidelines. Four groups of six rats each received a single oral dose of APSN at 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg. Post-administration, the rats were monitored for thirteen general toxicity signs over four hours and assessed for motor and locomotive behavior using a rota rod and open field test on the 14th day. In repeated dose toxicity studies, four groups of six rats were administered 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg APSN daily for 28 days. Parameters such as feed intake, body weight, biochemical and hematological profiles, and organ histopathology were studied. The results of acute toxicity studies indicated no evident toxicity signs, including abnormal motor locomotion and behavior. Rats exhibited good tolerance across the three doses. However, sub-acute exposure at 2g/kg showed minor morphological changes in liver histopathology, evidenced by minimal hepatic cell infiltration. The oral no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) surpassed 2000 mg/kg/day in both male and female Wistar rats, confirming the safety of APSN when administered orally. This research supports the ethnomedicinal claim of APSN, though further clinical studies are necessary to confirm these findings and ensure comprehensive safety validation. |
- Aggarwal G, Sharma M, Singh R, Sharma U. Ethnopharmacologically important highly subsidized Indian medicinal plants: Systematic review on their traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, quality control, conservation status and future prospective. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2024;320:117385.
- Wang H, Chen Y, Wang L, Liu Q, Yang S, Wang C. Advancing herbal medicine: enhancing product quality and safety through robust quality control practices. Frontiers in pharmacology. 2023;14:1265178.
- Jităreanu A, Trifan A, Vieriu M, Caba I-C, Mârțu I, Agoroaei L. Current trends in toxicity assessment of herbal medicines: A narrative review. Processes. 2022;11(1):83.
- Puhlmann N, Vidaurre R, Kümmerer K. Designing greener active pharmaceutical ingredients: Insights from pharmaceutical industry into drug discovery and development. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2024;192:106614.
- Opuni KF, Kretchy J-P, Agyabeng K, Boadu JA, Adanu T, Ankamah S, et al. Contamination of herbal medicinal products in low-and-middle-income countries: A systematic review. Heliyon. 2023;9(9).
- Singh S, Shukla VK. Current regulations for herbal medicines in India. International Journal of Drug Regulatory Affairs. 2021;9(2):30-4.
- Bhatt A. Phytopharmaceuticals: A new drug class regulated in India. Medknow. 2016. p. 59-61.
- Sylvie DD, Anatole PC, Cabral BP, Veronique PB. Comparison of in vitro antioxidant properties of extracts from three plants used for medical purpose in Cameroon: Acalypha racemosa, Garcinia lucida and Hymenocardia lyrata. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. 2014;4:S625-S32.
- Iniaghe O, Malomo S, Adebayo J, Arise R. Evaluation of the antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties of the methanolic extract of Acalypha racemosa leaf in carbon tetrachloride-treated rats. African Journal of Biotechnology. 2008;7(11).
- Kalaivani P, Siva R, Gayathri V, Langade D. Mutagenicity and safety evaluation of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root aqueous extract in different models. Toxicology Reports. 2024;12:41-7.
- Amudha P, Vanitha V. Toxicological, biochemical and histopathological evaluation of the ethanolic extract of seagrass-Enhalus acoroides in albino wistar rats. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology. 2019;18:101082.
- Suvarna R, Suryakanth VB, Bakthavatchalam P, Kalthur G, Nayak D, Prabhu MM, et al. Acute and sub-chronic toxicity of Liberin, an anti-diabetic polyherbal formulation in rats. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine. 2023;14(6):100804.
- Amoateng EO, Amoateng P, Ossei PPS, Fenteng EA, Amponsah IK, Ayibor WG, et al. An acute and sub-acute toxicological assessment of Reissantia indica plant extract in male Sprague-Dawley rats: Hematological, serum biochemical and histopathology. Scientific African. 2024;23:e02089.
- Xia Y, Zhu J, Qu M, Yang W, Fu S, Yu L, et al. Acute and subchronic oral toxicity study of Camelina sativa oil in Wistar rats. Heliyon. 2024;10(1).
- Seebaluck R, Gurib-Fakim A, Mahomoodally F. Medicinal plants from the genus Acalypha (Euphorbiaceae)–A review of their ethnopharmacology and phytochemistry. Journal of ethnopharmacology. 2015;159:137-57.
- Aliya S, Rethinasabapathy M, Yoo J, Kim E, Chung J-Y, Cha J-H, et al. Phytogenic fabrication of iron oxide nanoparticles and evaluation of their in vitro antibacterial and cytotoxic activity. Arabian Journal of Chemistry. 2023;16(6):104703.
- Chen D-H, Mao P-J, Diao W-J, Li Q. Toxicity study of compound granules of Hedyotis diffusa: Acute toxicity and long-term toxicity. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2024;321:117434.
- Hsu P-K, Tsai Y-T, Lin Y-C, Kuan C-M. Assessment of the acute and sub-acute toxicity of the ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of Crassocephalum rabens (Asteraceae) in rats. Toxicology reports. 2022;9:58-63.
- Bemidinezhad A, Zojaji SA, Jamshidi ST, Mohammadi M, Alavi MS, Ghorbani A. Evaluation of acute, subacute, and subchronic toxicity of a hepatoprotective herbal formulation. Toxicology Reports. 2023;11:452-9.
|