Chronic toxicity study of curcuminoids in rats

• Published in: Wārasān Songkhlā Nakharin Vol. 24; no. 4
• Main Authors: Pranee Chavalittumrong, Songphol Chivapat, Sadudee Rattanajarasroj, Somkiat Punyamong, Anchalee Chuthaputti, Chada Phisalaphong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.10.2002
• Subjects: CHRONIC TOXICITY; CURCUMA LONGA; GROWTH RATE; PLANT EXTRACTS; RATS; WEIGHT
• ISSN: 0125-3395

Six-month chronic toxicity study of curcuminoids extracted from the powdered dried rhizome of Curcuma longa L. was performed in six groups of 15 Wistar rats of each sex. Water control group received 5 ml of water/kg BW/day, while trangacanth control group received 5 ml of 0.5 percent tragacanth suspension/ kg BW/day orally. Three treatment groups were given the suspension of curcuminoids powder at the doses of 10, 50 and 250 mg/kg BW/day, which were 1, 5 and 25 times of the proposed therapeutic dose. The fourth treatment group, or the recovery group, also received 250 mg/kg BW/day of curcuminoids for six months, but two weeks of no curcuminoids treatment elapsed before the time of sacrifice. It was found that the growth rate of male rats receiving curcuminoids 50 mg/kg BW/day was significantly higher than that of the tragacanth control group. Curcuminoids did not produce any significant dose-related changes of hematological parameters. In the group of male animals receiving 250 mg/kg BW.day of curcuminoids, actual and relative liver weights and the level of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were significantly higher than those of the two controls, but the ALP level was still within a normal range. There appeared to be a higher incidence of mild degree of liver fatty degeneration and adrenocortical fatty degeneration in this group of animals; however, the incidence was not significantly different from that of the two controls. The results indicated that longterm administration of curcuminoids at therapeutic dose (10 mg/kg BW/day) did not produce any toxicity in rats. However, at higher doses, it may affect the function and morphology of the liver in a reversible manner.