Acute and sub-chronic toxicity of Cajanus cajan leaf extracts

Figures & data

Figure 1. Effects of oral Cajanus cajan leaf extracts on body weight (g). (A) Kunming mice treated with WEC, EEC, BEC or DEC in acute toxicity test. Data are means ± SD (N = 20; half male and half female). (B) Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rat treated with WEC in sub-chronic toxicity, (C) female SD rat treated with WEC in sub-chronic toxicity, (D) male SD rat treated with EEC in sub-chronic toxicity, (E) female SD rat treated with EEC in sub-chronic toxicity. Data are means ± SD (N = 10 rats/group/sex in 4-week treatment period; N = 5 rats/group/sex for 2-week recovery period). *p < 0.05 vs. control.

Table 1. Animal weight and relative weight gain (RWG) of Kunming mice before and after administration with the maximal oral dose of Cajanus cajan leaf extract or vehicle: acute toxicity assessment.

Day/RWG	Control	WEC	EEC	BEC	DEC
0	21.53 ± 1.12	21.35 ± 0.86	21.10 ± 0.97	20.89 ± 0.85	21.58 ± 1.64
14	34.69 ± 4.79	34.52 ± 3.32	33.93 ± 4.45	34.21 ± 3.49	33.20 ± 4.03
RWG	61%	62%	61%	64%	54%

Data are expressed as means ± SD (N = 20 animals, half male and half female). RWG: Relative weight gain = (Mean weight gain at day 14/Mean weight at day 0) × 100%.

Table 2. Animal weight and relative weight gain (RWG) of SD rats treated with WEC, EEC or vehicle after a 4-week treatment period and a 2-week recovery period: sub-acute toxicity.

			WEC			EEC
Sex	Week/RWG	Control	1.5 g/kg	3.0 g/kg	6.0 g/kg	1.5 g/kg	3.0 g/kg	6.0 g/kg
Male	0	137.92 ± 7.80	139.00 ± 9.71	143.99 ± 5.18	139.41 ± 6.70	135.27 ± 7.72	141.02 ± 10.49	138.24 ± 9.33
	4	368.48 ± 18.71	355.13 ± 42.65	363.44 ± 16.60	354.87 ± 24.87	347.15 ± 26.67	362.29 ± 23.31	346.04 ± 15.45
	RWG	167%	155%	152%	155%	157%	157%	150%
	6	438.18 ± 27.37	435.10 ± 38.20	440.79 ± 13.78	409.25 ± 33.01	431.72 ± 36.53	419.96 ± 18.14	391.99 ± 25.69*
	RWG	218%	213%	206%	194%	219%	198%	184%
Female	0	139.53 ± 4.96	139.34 ± 6.61	134.77 ± 4.83	137.66 ± 5.45	137.80 ± 6.79	142.10 ± 2.73	142.66 ± 6.34
	4	256.33 ± 15.20	250.66 ± 17.93	257.53 ± 26.55	253.01 ± 12.50	247.54 ± 15.26	255.53 ± 11.11	261.65 ± 29.54
	RWG	84%	80%	91%	84%	80%	80%	83%
	6	281.49 ± 11.14	283.12 ± 21.22	274.38 ± 19.96	277.49 ± 13.58	297.56 ± 43.22	282.26 ± 14.05	304.07 ± 38.71
	RWG	102%	103%	104%	102%	116%	99%	113%

Values are expressed as means ± SD (N = 20; 10 rats/sex/group during 4-week exposure period; N = 5 rats/sex/group during 2-week recovery period). Relative weight gain = (Mean weight at the end of exposure or recovery/Mean weight at week 0) × 100%. *p < 0.05 vs. control.

Figure 2. Effect of oral WEC on relative SD rat organ weight (g): sub-chronic toxicity. Data are means ± SD (N = 10; 5 rats/group/sex for 4-week treatment and 2-week recovery period), *p < 0.05 vs. control.

Figure 3. Effect of oral EEC on relative SD rat organ weight (g): sub-chronic toxicity. Data are means ± SD (N = 10; 5 rats/group/sex for 4-week treatment and 2-week recovery period), *p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 vs. control.

Figure 4. HPLC chromatograms of Cajanus cajan leaf extracts and reference compounds. (A) WEC, (B) BEC, (D) EEC, (E) DEC, (C) mixed water-soluble reference compounds, (F) mixed lipophilic reference compounds.1. Orientin, 2. Vitexin, 3. Genistin, 4. Pinostrobin, 5. Longistyline A, 6. Longistyline C.

Table 3. HPLC assay for flavonoid and stilbenoid marker compounds in Cajanus cajan leaf extract (mg/g).

Extract	Orientin	Vitexin	Genistin	Extract	Pinostrobin	Longistyline A	Longistyline C
WEC	7.78 ± 0.02	2.68 ± 0.02	2.47 ± 0.02	EEC	10.55 ± 0.11	2.18 ± 0.04	4.27 ± 0.06
BEC	29.78 ± 0.17	5.11 ± 0.05	7.28 ± 0.04	DEC	73.40 ± 0.59	18.00 ± 0.09	32.35 ± 0.25

Values are expressed as mean ± SD from three independent experiments.