Acute and chronic effects of methanolic extract of Teucrium polium on blood parameters and histopathology of liver and kidney in Female Rats

Teucrium polium L. is commonly used as a medicinal plant in Algeria to fight various human diseases. In this study, extracting aerial parts of T. polium with methanol gave a dry matter yield of 8.24 %. The effects of methanolic extract of T. polium "TPME" were examined per os on female rats Albino Wistar for six weeks. Biochemical and hematological serum parameters and morphology and histopathology of organs of treated rats were studied. Acute toxicity showed low toxicity with a lethal dose of 50% LD50 > 2400 mg / Kg of body weight. These data can be used to classify these plants as slightly toxic. However, sub-acute treatment for six weeks of rats with 75, 150, and 300 mg of methanolic extract / Kg of body weight significantly increased the most studied hematological parameters. Biochemical analysis revealed a significant increase of renal parameters (urea, creatinine, uric acid, Na, and K), accompanied by an increase in the relative weight of kidney, lipidic (cholesterol), and hepatic glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) values in all treated rats. Histopathological examination confirmed the biochemical tests by the observation of perilobular necrosis areas, bile duct and inflammatory infiltration of the liver, and the presence of marked intracytoplasmic vacuoles in the kidney with the dose 300 mg of TPME Kg of animal body weight. Use of Teucrium polium L. may cause hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity after prolonged herb administration. Keywords: Teucrium polium L, TPME, LD50, biochemical parameters, toxicity