ACUTE TOXICITY OF ECHIMIDINE IN MALE WISTAR RATS

R.R. DALEFIELD¹*, M.A. GOSSE², U. MUELLER^3
1Food Standards Australia New Zealand.
²Food Standards Australia New Zealand.
³Food Standards Australia New Zealand.
* Corresponding Author : rosalind.dalefield@foodstandards.govt.nz

Received : 31-10-2014     Accepted : 12-03-2015     Published : 02-04-2015
Volume : 4     Issue : 1       Pages : 42 - 47
J Toxicol Res 4.1 (2015):42-47

Keywords : echimidine, pyrrolizidine alkaloid, oral toxicity, rat, hepatotoxicity
Academic Editor : John M. Desesso, Marcin Barszcz
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : This study was conducted at Estendart, Ltd., with dose formulation provided by Grayson Wagner Co. Ltd., and pathology services provided by the Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University. Funding for this study was provided

There is very little published information on the oral toxicity of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid echimidine. The acute oral toxicity of echimidine was investigated in male Wistar rats, using OECD Test Guideline 425 with minor modifications. The calculated single-dose 72-hour oral LD50 of echimidine in male Wistar rats is 518 (228.9-654.3) mg/kg bw. Echimidine did not cause pulmonary lesions consistent with acute pulmonary hypertension. Echimidine caused hepatic lesions of haemorrhage, necrosis and apoptosis but hepatic venous endothelial cells did not appear to be a target of echimidine toxicity.