Research Article
Acute and Subchronic Toxicity Profile of a Polyherbal Drug
Used in Sri Lankan Traditional Medicine
Donisha Shani Niharika Keembiya Liyanagamage ,
1,2
Susanthi Jayasinghe ,
1
Anoja Priyadarshani Attanayake ,
3
and Veranja Karunaratne
1
1
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
2
Postgraduate Institute of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
3
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri Lanka
Correspondence should be addressed to Susanthi Jayasinghe; susanthij@pdn.ac.lk
Received 12 April 2020; Revised 10 June 2020; Accepted 23 June 2020; Published 13 July 2020
Academic Editor: Cristina Nogueira
Copyright © 2020 Donisha Shani Niharika Keembiya Liyanagamage et al. is is an open access article distributed under the
CreativeCommonsAttributionLicense,whichpermitsunrestricteduse,distribution,andreproductioninanymedium,provided
the original work is properly cited.
A polyherbal drug composed of leaves of Murraya koenigii L. Spreng, cloves of Allium sativum L., fruits of Garcinia quaesita Pierre,
and seeds of Piper nigrum L. is a popular drug which has been used by indigenous practitioners in Sri Lanka for the treatment of
diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia. e acute toxicity assessment was conducted, following a single oral dose of 0.25–2.0 g/kg in
healthy rats, and rats were observed up to 14 days. e hot water extract (1.0 g/kg) and the water : acetone extract (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 g/kg)
were administered to Wistar rats for 28 days in the subchronic study. Hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic activities (dose response
studies) of cold water, hot water, and water: acetone extracts of the polyherbal mixture were evaluated at the doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 g/kg
in healthy and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats (70mg/kg, ip), respectively. Acute toxicity study showed that the polyherbal drug did
not cause any change in animals throughout the experimental period of 14 days. e administration of the hot water extract and the
water : acetone extract of the polyherbal drug for 28 days did not produce changes in the selected biochemical and hematological
parameters in Wistar rats (p > 0.05). e histological assessment corroborated the biochemical findings with no significant treatment-
related changes in the kidney and liver. e treatment of polyherbal drug significantly lowered the serum glucose concentration
compared to the diabetic control rats (p < 0.05) while it did not lead to a severe reduction of glucose concentration in healthy rats. e
hot water and water : acetone extracts of the polyherbal drug showed a statistically significant improvement on total area under the
glucose tolerance curve in diabetic rats (p < 0.05), reflecting dose-dependent antihyperglycemic effects of the drug. Based on the results,
we conclude that the aforementioned antidiabetic polyherbal remedy is free of toxic/adverse effects at the equivalent human therapeutic
dose in healthy Wistar rats and would be a safe therapeutic agent for long-term treatments.
1. Introduction
Different types of noncommunicable diseases such as dia-
betes mellitus have been treated with many traditional
medicines which are derived from medicinal plants [1].
However, the major hindrance in incorporation of herbal
medicine in modern medical practices is lack of scientific
and preclinical data proving their efficacy and safety. A
polyherbal drug made of leaves of Murraya koenigii L.
Spreng (Family: Rutaceae), cloves of Allium sativum L
(Family: Amaryllidaceae), dried fruit rinds of Garcinia
quaesita Pierre (Family: Clusiaceae), and seeds of Piper
nigrum L. (Family: Piperaceae) has been prescribed by many
indigenous practitioners in Sri Lanka in the treatment of
diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia [2, 3]. In addition, in-
gredients of the above mixture are well-known antidiabetic
herbal therapeutics in traditional medicine that have been
extensively used to manage diabetes not only in Sri Lanka
but also in many South Asian countries. Recent scientific
studies have disclosed their evidences for potential antidi-
abetic activity of its ingredients: leaves of M. koenigii, cloves
of A. sativum, P. nigrum, and their isolated compounds
Hindawi
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Volume 2020, Article ID 2189189, 12 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/2189189