BODY ORGAN RATIO TOXICITY STUDIES OF AN AYURVEDIC MEDICINE �??BASAKARISTA�?? AFTER CHRONIC ADMINISTRATION TO FEMALE SPRAGUEDAWLEY RATS

Arjyabrata Sarker, Tanmoy Sana, Paritosh Chakma, Md. Afaz Uddin, Md. Nuruzzaman Neon, Sagor Chandra Roy, M. S. K. Choudhuri

Basakarista (BSK), a well-known ayurvedic preparation, is widely used as a traditional medicine in the treatment of cough and respiratory trouble. In this study, effect of BSK on organ toxicity profile was evaluated after chronic administration of this drug to female Sprague-Dawley rats. The acute pharmacological study of BSK recorded no death or any signs of toxicity even at the highest dose of 80 ml/Kg body weight. For chronic pharmacological evaluation, the animals were divided into two groups. The first group was given BSK preparation at a dose of 40 ml/kg body weight for 35 days while the second group that served as the control received water for the same period. All throughout the experimental period, the BSK treated animals were always maintaining negligible decrease in body weight, in the body weight study, but it was not significant. There is a statistically significant (p=0.05) decrease in the absolute and relative weight of rat heart, kidney, spleen and thymus. The drug (BSK) also significantly decrease the tissue hydration index in heart and lung. These results demonstrate that BSK should not be administered chronically at a higher dose.