Research in Molecular Medicine

en Acute and Sub-Acute Oral Toxicity of Trachyspermum ammi Hydroalcoholic Seed Extract in Wistar Rats: Liver Function Biomarkers and Histological Evaluation بافت شناسي Histology پژوهشي Research <div style="text-align: justify;">Background: Trachyspermum ammi (Ajwain) is widely used in traditional medicine across South Asia and the Middle East; however, systematic toxicological evaluations remain limited. This study assessed the acute and sub-acute oral toxicity of T. ammi hydroalcoholic seed extract (TAHE) in Wistar rats, with emphasis on hepatic safety. Methods: Acute toxicity was evaluated according to OECD Guideline 423 following a single oral dose of 2000 mg/kg in female rats (n=5). Subacute toxicity was assessed through repeated oral administration for 28 days at doses of 75, 150, and 300 mg/kg/day in male rats (n=10/group). Assessments included clinical observations, body weight changes, hematological and serum biochemical analyses, and histopathological examination of liver tissue. Results: No mortality or treatment-related clinical signs occurred in either study. Body weight gain, food consumption, and hematological parameters remained comparable among the groups. Among the hepatic biomarkers, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) showed a statistically significant difference among groups (P=0.041); however, this difference was not maintained in post hoc pairwise comparisons with the control group (all P>0.55). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin, albumin, and total protein remained unchanged. A dose-dependent increase in serum uric acid reached statistical significance at 300 mg/kg (P=0.009). Histopathological examination revealed preserved hepatic architecture, with no significant differences in congestion, hemorrhage, inflammatory infiltration, or degeneration scores (all P>0.35). Conclusion: TAHE demonstrated a favorable safety profile, with an oral LD₅₀ exceeding 2000 mg/kg and a no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of 150 mg/kg/day in the 28-day study. The isolated elevation in uric acid at the highest dose warrants monitoring in longer-duration studies. </div> Trachyspermum ammi, Ajwain, acute toxicity, sub-acute toxicity, liver histopathology, herbal safety 0 0 http://rmm.mazums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1485-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Davood Dorranipour davood.dorranipour@bums.ac.ir No Department of Surgical Technology, Ferdows Faculty of Medical Sciences, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran. Iman Zangiabadi iman_20013@yahoo.com No Department of Basic Sciences, School of Medicine, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, Iran Reza Dehghani dr.rezadehghani7@yahoo.com No Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, Iran Mohammad Zangooei zangooei65@gmail.com No Department of Nursing, Qaen School of Medical Sciences, Geriatric Health Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran Mostafa Peyvandi m.peyvandi@bums.ac.ir 0922825602 Yes Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran