Developmental toxicity of orally administered pineapple leaf extract in rats

• Published in: Food and chemical toxicology Vol. 49; no. 6; pp. 1455 - 1463
• Main Authors: Hu, Jun, Lin, Han, Shen, Jia, Lan, Jiaqi, Ma, Chao, Zhao, Yunan, Lei, Fan, Xing, Dongming, Du, Lijun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Abnormalities, Drug-Induced - pathology; Ananas - chemistry; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; cyclophosphamide; Cyclophosphamide - toxicity; Developmental toxicity; Embryo, Mammalian - drug effects; embryogenesis; Embryology: invertebrates and vertebrates. Teratology; Embryonic Development - drug effects; Female; female fertility; Fertility - drug effects; fetal development; Fetal Development - drug effects; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gestation period; leaf extracts; leaves; Malformation; Maternal Exposure - adverse effects; medicine; oral administration; Organ Size - drug effects; organogenesis; Pineapple leaves; pineapples; Plant Extracts - classification; Plant Extracts - toxicity; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Pregnancy; Rat; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Reproduction - drug effects; Skeletal anomalies; skeleton; Teratogenic; teratogenicity; Teratogens - classification; Teratogens - toxicity; Teratology. Teratogens; tissue weight; toxicology; weight gain; Weight Gain - drug effects; Teratogenic; Pineapple leaves; Developmental toxicity; Rat; Malformation; Skeletal anomalies; Ananas comosus; Monocotyledones; Toxicity; Tissue extract; Teratogenesis; Tropical fruit; Angiospermae; Bromeliaceae; Pineapple; Anomaly; Skeleton; Teratogen; Reproduction diseases; Rodentia; Oral administration; Tropical crop; Plant leaf; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Fruit crop; Animal; Vegetative apparatus; Plant origin; Spermatophyta
• ISSN: 0278-6915; 1873-6351
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2011.03.047

The extract of pineapple leaves (EPL) has anti-diabetic and anti-dyslipidemic effects and can be developed into a promising natural medicine. This study was conducted to evaluate EPL’s effects on developmental parameters in order to provide evidence of its safety before potential medical use. Five groups were included: a negative control that was given distilled water daily, a positive control that was dosed 7mg/kg cyclophosphamide (CP) every two days, and three groups that were respectively dosed 2.0, 1.0, and 0.5g/kg EPL daily. Female rats were dosed during the organogenesis period of gestation days (GD) 7–17 and terminated on GD 20. A series of parameters were examined. Data revealed that CP significantly reduced maternal body weight gains, caused maternal organ weight alterations, reduced female fertility, disturbed fetal growth and development, and caused marked teratogenic effects on fetal appearances, skeleton and internal organs. Distilled water and the three high doses of EPL did not cause any of the aforementioned effects. This study concluded that orally administered EPL is safe to rats during embryonic development.