THE STUDY OF THE SAFE USE OF POTENTILLA ALBA HERB
Objectives. To study acute and chronic toxicity of Potentilla alba herb for the determination of the nature and severity of the possible damaging effects on the laboratory animals body. Material and Methods. Acute and chronic toxicity was studied on mice and rats of both sexes (50/50) in accordance with the standard requirements for preclinical testing of drugs. Acute and chronic toxicity was studied in accordance with the «Guidelines for the Study of Common Toxic Effect of Pharmacological Agents». The animals were kept in vivarium conditions with a standard diet, temperature and light conditions, with free access to water and feed. All manipulations with animals were started at the same time of the day in the morning, taking into account the chronobiological dependence of most physiological processes in the body of the animal. The selection of doses was conditioned by the information given in the literature sources. Results. The LD<sub>50</sub> of Potentilla alba herb has been determined which makes up 2395,9 mg / kg. In the study of chronic toxicity in rodents no deaths and signs of intoxication and diseases have been registered. The study was carried out during 3 months on the basis of the vivarium of the Vitebsk State Academy of Veterinary Medicine. It has been found that the feed consumption was satisfactory, the water was drunk willingly, the behavior was active, the state of hair was satisfactory. Complex studies of chronic toxicity enabled the conclusion, that finely powdered Potentilla alba herb in the doses tested did not have any negative impact on the body of laboratory animals. Conclusions. In the study of acute and chronic toxicity the absence of animal deaths on the maximum possible amount of introduction into the stomach allows, according to the classes of toxicity of substances in accordance with modified classification of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, to classify powdered Potentilla alba herb as the Class V, that is virtually nontoxic (LD<sub>50</sub> : 2001-5000 mg / kg).