Acute toxicity of fruit extracts from Melia azedarach L. in rats

CARPINELLA, M.C.,; FULGINITI A.S.,; BRITOS S.,; OVIEDO M.M.,; ALONSO R. A.; PALACIOS, S. M.

REVISTA DE TOXICOLOGIA

Asociación Española de Toxicológica

Lugar: Madrid; Año: 1999 vol. 16 p. 22 - 24

0212-7113

Fruit extracts from Paraiso (Melia azedarach L.) showing insecticidal  and antimicotic activity, are potencial natural pesticides. The fruit is considered to be toxic, and in order to establish this, the LD50 was determined. Oral and intraperitoneal acute toxicity of extracts from complete fruits were evaluated on rats. Oral administration of up to 16 g of extract/kg of rat did not cause any significant behavioural modifications, morbidity or mortality. However, an intraperitoneal LD50 of 1.03 g of extract/kg was obtained. In the latter study animals showed piloerection, hypothermia, dispnoea, and for the highest concentration, episodic convultions and death. For the orally treated animals, hystopathological analysis of all examined organs, revealed a  normal structure. In the intraperitoneal study, the only directly affected organ was the lung which showed an increase in the mucous secretion of the epithelial cells of the bronchial lining, as well as muscle fragmentation, and a dense inflamatory infiltration around the bronchi and bronchioles causing a folicular bronchioectasic lesion with a reactive centre.