Assessment of Acute Oral Toxicity of Sonchus wightianus DC. Methanolic Extract Using OECD 423 Guidelines

The pharmacological characteristics of Sonchus wightianus DC, a perennial herb belonging to the Asteraceae family, have been reported in many publications. This plant offers many benefits (antimicrobial, antioxidant), but data on its toxic potential are limited. It is necessary to confirm the safety of plants and pharmaceuticals prior to their use as medicines. Thus, this study's objective was to assess the acute oral toxicity of a methanolic extract obtained from Sonchus wightianus in a rat model using fixed dosage tests, with an upper limit administration of two thousand milligrams per kilogram body weight of the test animal, in accordance with OECD recommendations 423. The Albino Wistar rats were given one oral administration of 5, 50, 300, or 2000 mg per kilogram body weight. Following fourteen days of dosing the extract at intervals of 1, 2,4, and 24 hours, the results showed no evidence of toxic effects or death. The test animals exhibited writhing reflex and grooming behaviour, as well as unusual respiration whereas all the other responses noted remained normal and showed no changes in behavior or death at the maximum tested dosing (2000 mg per kilogram body weight). These findings indicate the safety of oral administration for the tested Sonchus wightianus methanolic extract.