Comparative sub-chronic toxicity studies in rats of two indistinguishable herbal plants, Cynanchum wilfordii (Maxim.) Hemsley and Cynanchum auriculatum Royle ex Wight

Sub-chronic toxicity studies using rats have been conducted for Cynanchum wilfordii (Maxim.) Hemsley (CW) and Cynanchum auriculatum Royle ex Wight (CA). CW water extract didn’t show any adverse effects whereas administering CW powder decreased body weights in complication with decreased food consumptions. In the case of CA water extract, triglyceride and absolute/relative liver weights were elevated and vacuolation was observed in liver. Treated CA powder in male rats increased alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase and induced single cell necrosis and multinucleated hepatocyte in liver. As for female rats, increased absolute/relative weights and hypertrophy/vacuolation in adrenal glands and vacuolation in ovaries were observed when administered CA powder. In conclusion, no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of CW water extract was over 5000 mg/kg/day, while NOAEL of CW powder was 700 mg/kg/day for female and 150 mg/kg/day for male. In case of CA, NOAEL of water extract was 1500 mg/kg/day for male and 2000 mg/kg/day for female, while NOAEL of powder was 150 mg/kg/day for both gender. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first sub-chronic toxicity study on the adverse effects, target organs and its dose levels of C. wilfordii (Maxim.) Hemsley and C. auriculatum Royle ex Wight following GLP protocols.