Acute and Sub-acute Oral Toxicity Study of Allium sativum Powder in Wister Rats
Asseel Abdulateef Abdulzahra *
Department of Pathology and Poultry Disease, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study evaluated the acute and sub-acute oral toxicity of A. sativum powder in male Sprague Dawley rats. Thirty-five rats weighing 180–220 g were used. In the acute toxicity study, rats were assigned to three groups of five animals each and received sterile water or a single oral dose of the garlic powder preparation. In the sub-acute study, rats were assigned to four groups of five animals each and received sterile water or the garlic powder preparation at 2000, 3000, or 5000 mg/kg body weight daily for four weeks. Body weight, selected organ weights, and serum biochemical markers of liver and kidney function were assessed. Acute administration did not produce significant changes in body weight, organ weight, liver function markers, or kidney function markers compared with the control group. In the sub-acute study, the 2000 mg/kg group showed a significant increase in body weight during weeks 2 and 3, a significant decrease in liver weight, and significant increases in aspartate aminotransferase and direct bilirubin. These changes were not dose-dependent and were not accompanied by significant increases in alanine aminotransferase, creatinine, urea, or uric acid. The findings suggest that the tested garlic powder preparation did not produce a consistent pattern of acute or sub-acute systemic toxicity under the conditions of this study. Further evaluation, including histopathology, haematology, food intake monitoring, and the inclusion of both sexes, is recommended.
Keywords: Garlic, Allium sativum, toxicity, Sprague Dawley rats