Study of the acute toxicity of <i>Thymus marschallianus</i> Willd. extracts and analysis of blood biochemical parameters under their influence
Introduction. The search for new pharmacological agents is justified by the need for drugs with high efficiency along with low toxicity. The substances with minimal side effects, which include herbal remedies, are of particular interest. The assessment of safety, and study of toxicity of new medicines in particular, is a necessary stage of their preclinical development. Aim. To determine the toxicity of Thymus marschallianus Willd. extracts and study their effect on the biochemical parameters of the blood of mice with repeated administration. Materials and methods. The toxicity of Thymus marschallianus Willd. extracts was determined by probit analysis. The experiment was carried out on 24 female mice: three experimental groups and a control group (intact). The animals of experimental groups got a single intraperitoneal injection with Thymus marschallianus Willd. extracts at doses of 1000, 3000, 5000 mg/kg (in terms of thick extract) respectfully. The study of the effect of Thymus marschallianus Willd. extracts on blood biochemical parameters was carried out on 24 male mice: three experimental groups and a control group (intact). The experimental groups received drinking water, ethanol and aqueous extracts of Thymys marschallianus Willd. intragastrically at a dose of 100 mg/kg daily for 21 days of the experiment. The content of glucose, cholesterol, urea, total bilirubin, creatinine, total protein, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in blood samples was determined. Results. According to the classification of toxicity of chemicals, an ethanol extraction of Thymus marschallianus Willd. belongs to low-toxic substances. The administration of an aqueous extract of Thymus marschallianus Willd. led to a significant decrease in glucose, albumin, total bilirubin and urea, as well as a decrease in ALT activity. The content of cholesterol, total protein, creatinine, as well as the activity of ALP and LDH did not significantly differ from the indicators of the control group. With the administration of an ethanol extraction of Thymus marschallianus Willd., there was an increase in the total protein content and activity of ALT, AST, ALP and a decrease in the level of total bilirubin and urea compared with the control group. The content of glucose, cholesterol, albumin, creatinine and LDH activity remained within the control group values. Conclusion. The results of the study did not reveal significant changes in the biochemical parameters of the blood of mice with the administration of Thymus marschallianus Willd. extracts, which confirms the safety of the use of extracts from this type of plant raw materials.