A 180-Day Subchronic Oral Toxicity Study of Total Flavones of E. leptorrhizum Stearn in Rats

A subchronic oral toxicity was conducted to evaluate the safety of total flavones of E. leptorrhizum Stearn in Sprague-Dawley rats. The test article was administered once daily by gavage in male and female rats at dose levels of 24, 48, and 96 mg/kg body weight/day for 180 days. 90 and 180 days after administration, ten and tweedy animals (each half of male and female) of each group were tested. 28 days after withdrawal, five male and female rats were tested. There were no significant toxicological changes shown in daily clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, hematology parameters, blood biochemistry, organ weights and histopathological examination except leukocyte differential count. It was concluded that the no-observed-effect level (NOEL) for total flavones of E. leptorrhizum Stearn was >96 mg/kg in SD rats.