Chronic toxicity of Annona muricata L. leaf extract

Abstract

Annona muricata L., a medicinal plant, has been used for alleviating and curing various illnesses, and in particular, its anticancer activity has made it well-known. The chronic toxicity of the aqueous leaf extract by the oral route was examined in rats. The extract was administered to the five treatment groups at doses of 10 mg/kg/d, 100 mg/kg/d, 1,000 mg/kg/d, 2,000 mg/kg/d and the recovery group for 26 wk compared to the control group that received 10 mL/kg water. The results showed that the lower doses (10 mg/kg/d, 100 mg/kg/d, 1,000 mg/kg/d) did not cause any apparent dose-related changes; however, this should take into consideration that the dose of 2,000 mg/kg/d caused liver abnormality and thrombocytopenia in rats. Therefore, it was concluded that the aqueous extract of A. muricata at lower doses did not produce any significant toxicity, but it could cause some abnormalities to rats during the experimental period at the high dose applied.