Ss. Deshpande et al., SUBCHRONIC ORAL TOXICITY OF TURMERIC AND ETHANOLIC TURMERIC EXTRACT IN FEMALE MICE AND RATS, Toxicology letters, 95(3), 1998, pp. 183-193
Subchronic oral toxicity of turmeric and ethanolic turmeric extract wa
s studied in female Swiss mice and Wistar rats fed turmeric (0, 1 and
5%) and ethanolic turmeric extract (0, 0.05 and 0.25%) through diet fo
r 14 and/or 90 days. The administration of a high dose of turmeric (5%
) for longer duration (90 days) showed a significant reduction in body
weight gain, alterations in absolute and/or relative liver weights, a
nd hepatotoxicity i.e. focal necrosis or focal necrosis with regenerat
ion both in mice and rats. In mice lower doses of turmeric i.e 0.2 or
1% for 14 days also showed hepatotoxicity and they were found to be mo
re vulnerable to turmeric-induced hepatotoxicity than rats. (C) 1998 E
lsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.