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The toxicity of alfalfa saponins in rats

1981; Elsevier BV; Volume: 19; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0015-6264(81)90448-x

1878-6049

M.R. Malinow, Wilbur P. McNulty, Peter McLaughlin, Clarence E. Stafford, Angie Burns, A. L. Livingston, G. O. Kohler,

Ginseng Biological Effects and Applications

Saponins were isolated from aerial alfalfa plants (alfalfa top saponins; ATS) and incorporated into semi-purified diets. Three groups of eight Sprague-Dawley male rats were fed, respectively, a semi-purified control diet or the same diet containing 1 or 2% ATS. The former ATS diet was fed for 6 months, the latter for 2 months. During the first 4 days, rats on ATS showed a depression of food intake, and 1% cholesterol was subsequently added to all the diets. ATS ingestion had no effect on food intake (after day 5), growth or survival, blood urea nitrogen, serum levels of glucose, creatinine, sodium, potassium, chloride, CO2, uric acid, calcium, phosphorus, total protein, albumin, total and direct bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase or glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase, erythrocyte and leucocyte counts, haemoglobin levels, haematocrit determinations or erythrocyte osmotic fragility. The levels of serum cholesterol and triglycerides were reduced in animals fed 1% ATS for 6 months. Post-mortem examination revealed no differences in gross or microscopic findings among the groups. Thus this study provided no evidence of toxicity associated with ATS in cholesterol-fed rats.