ACUTE ORAL TOXICITY STUDY OF AQUILARIA CRASSNA AND alpha-TOCOPHEROL IN MICE

The combination of agarwood (Aquilaria crassna) young leave with alpha-tocopherol (alpha-TOH) showed a synergistic effect which helps to protect the food from lipid oxidation. The present study was designed to elucidate the acute toxicity of the mixture of A. crassna young leaves crude ethanolic extract (CE) and alpha-TOH on Balb/c mice. This acute oral toxicity study was carried out based on OECD 423 guidelines by using female Balb/c mice weighing 15-25 g. First group was served as control group which received dimethyl sulfoxide (vehicle) while second, third and fourth group were orally administered with single dose of 2000 mg/kg of CE, alpha-TOH and a mixture of CE and alpha-TOH (1:2), respectively. Throughout 14 days of observation, no behavioural changes were seen in all the treated animals. Body weight for each mouse and the relative organ weights for liver, kidney, lung, heart and spleen showed insignificant different (p>0.05) when compared to the control group. These results indicate the safety of the acute exposure of the A. crassna CE, alpha-TOH and the mixture of A. crassna CE and alpha-TOH at dose of 2000 mg/kg in female mice, without causing any adverse effects. The oral lethal dose(LD50) of A. crassna CE, alpha-TOH and CE/alpha-TOH mixture were suggested to be greater than 2000 mg/kg body weight in female mice.