Safety assessment of Chlorophytum alismifolium tuber extract (Liliaceae): Acute and sub-acute toxicity studies in Wistar rats

Objective: To explore the toxicological profile of methanol extract of Chlorophytum alismifolium (MECA) tubers in Wistar rats. Methods: MECA was subjected to acute and sub-acute studies which were conducted according to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD 425 and 407 guidelines respectively). In the acute toxicity experiment, a limit test (5 000 mg/kg) was administered to five rats and monitored for 2 weeks. The sub-acute studies were conducted on 4 groups of rats. The first group served as control, while the 2nd, 3rd and 4th groups received MECA (150, 300 and 600 mg/kg respectively). The treatments were given orally and daily for 4 weeks. At the end of the experiment (29th day), the animals were euthanized to obtain blood samples and organs for haematological, biochemical and histological evaluations. Results: Acute toxicity study showed that the oral median lethal dose was >5 000 mg/kg. In the sub-acute studies, the results showed no significant (P>0.05) changes in the haematological, hepatic and renal indices compared to control animals. In the fourth week, a significant (P