Acute and 90 Days Repeated Dose Toxicity of Rasa parpati (an Ayurvedic Mercurial Formulation) in Charles Foster Albino Rats

Abstract

Rasa parpati is a unique Ayurvedic mercurial formulation extensively prescribed by Ayurvedic physicians to treat different ailments. Considering toxicity concerns of traditional formulations for containing heavy metals like Mercury, Arsenic, Lead etc.; it becomes, imperative to evaluate safety aspects of such formulations. In Ayurveda, metals and minerals are advocated to be processed through the specified guidelines before their therapeutic application. An attempt has been made to evaluate the impact of Shodhana on safety aspects of Rasa parpati through acute and 90 days repeated dose toxicity of Rasa parpati that was prepared by two different samples of raw materials. One by using Hingulottha parada and Shuddha gandhaka (HRP) while, another with Ashuddha parada and Ashuddha gandhaka (ARP). Oral acute toxicity of test drugs was carried out at limit dose of 2000 mg/kg orally along with adjuvant in Charles foster female rats. In 90 days repeated dose toxicity, both ARP and HRP were orally administered at therapeutically equivalent dose (22.5 mg/kg), TEDx5 (112.5 mg/kg), TEDx10 (225 mg/kg) levels along with adjuvant for 90 days. Two recovery groups were also studied in the experiment. Acute toxicity revealed that, both the test drugs did not produce any signs and symptoms of toxicity and mortality up to oral dose of 2000 mg/kg in rats. Administration of HRP for 90 days revealed that, the drug at higher dose has potential to produce liver and kidney toxicity however, can be relatively safe at therapeutic dose level. ARP has potential for liver, kidney and GI tract toxicity with deposition in other organs. The recovery study suggests that, after discontinuation of HRP the observed changes are reversible in nature while, in ARP some of the observed changes are irreversible in nature. From present study, it is concluded that HRP was found to be safer than ARP at different dose levels in rats suggesting safe use at therapeutic dose level. It proves that classical procedures like Shodhana are mandatorily to be followed in the pharmaceutical processing of these formulations.