Sains Malaysiana 50(3)(2021): 711-721

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2021-5003-13

Acute Toxicity Evaluation of a Crude Sap Isolated from Nypa fruticans Wurmb. in Sprague Dawley Rats

(Penilaian Ketoksikan Akut Air Nira yang dipencilkan daripada Nypa fruticans Wurmb. pada Tikus Sprague Dawley)

SITI FATIMAH ROQIAH YAHAYA¹*, NIZA SAMSUDDIN¹, SUHANA MAMAT¹, ROZITA HOD², NOR ZAMZILA ABDULLAH^3,4 & NOR AZLINA A RAHMAN⁵

¹Department of Biomedical Sciences, Kulliyyah of Allied Health Science, International Islamic University Malaysia, Bandar Indera Mahkota, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia

²Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, UKM Medical Center, Jln Yaakob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

³Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Kulliyyah of Medicine, International Islamic University Malaysia, Bandar Indera Mahkota, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia

⁴Consultant Chemical Pathologist, International Islamic University Malaysia Medical Center, Bandar Indera Mahkota, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia

⁵Department of Physical Rehabilitation Sciences, Kulliyyah of Allied Health Science, International Islamic University Malaysia, Bandar Indera Mahkota, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia

Received: 22 January 2020/Accepted: 21 August 2020

ABSTRACT

Nypa fruticans Wurmb. (nipa palm) sap, locally known as air nira or tuak, is a sweet natural beverage in Malaysia with antioxidant potency beneficial for human health. However, nypa sap lacks scientific attention with no toxicity study has been established. Therefore, this study was performed to evaluate the acute toxicity of nypa sap in the female Sprague Dawley rats. Twenty-five female rats were randomly divided into one control group and four treated groups. Treated groups were orally administered with doses of 5, 50, 300, and 2000 mg/kg of nypa sap, while the control group had received normal saline solution. The animals’ vital signs and mortality were recorded daily at an interval of 30 min and continued up to 14 days. Their blood samples and organs were harvested for toxicity analysis to assess liver and kidney function, lipid profile, and full blood count. The acute toxicity test via measurement of the biochemical and haematological parameters had shown that there was no significant difference between the treated and control groups. However, the blood glucose level in the treated groups (at higher doses of 300 and 2000 mg/kg, respectively) was significantly decreased. A similar trend was recorded for mean corpuscular volume (MCV) albeit in the treated group of 50 mg/kg doses. Histopathological examination of the organs showed no signs of abnormality in both treated and untreated groups. Overall, the results showed that consumption of nypa sap is potentially safe with no acute toxic effect on the laboratory rat models.

Keywords: Acute toxicity; biochemical parameters; haematological parameters; histopathology; Nypa fruticans Wurmb. sap

ABSTRAK

Cairan tumbuhan daripada pokok Nypa fruticans Wurmb. (nipah) atau dikenali sebagai air nira atau tuak adalah minuman semula jadi yang manis di Malaysia dengan potensi antioksidan yang memberi manfaat untuk kesihatan manusia. Walau bagaimanapun, air nira ini kurang mendapat perhatian saintifik dengan kajian ketoksikan masih belum diterbitkan. Oleh itu, kajian ini dilakukan untuk menilai ketoksikan akut air nira terhadap tikus Sprague Dawley betina. Dua puluh lima ekor tikus dibahagikan secara rawak kepada satu kumpulan kawalan dan empat kumpulan rawatan. Kumpulan rawatan diberikan air nira secara oral pada dos 5, 50, 300 dan 2000 mg/kg, sementara kumpulan kawalan diberikan larutan garam. Tanda-tanda vital dan kematian haiwan dicatat setiap hari dalam selang masa 30 minit dan berterusan selama 14 hari. Sampel darah dan organ semua tikus diambil untuk analisis ketoksikan untuk menilai ujian fungsi hati dan ginjal, profil lipid serta ujian bilangan sel darah. Ujian ketoksikan akut melalui pengukuran parameter biokimia dan hematologi telah membuktikan bahawa tiada perbezaan yang ketara antara kumpulan rawatan dan kumpulan kawalan. Walau bagaimanapun, tahap glukosa darah dalam kumpulan rawatan (pada dos yang tertinggi 300 dan 2000 mg/kg) berkurangan secara ketara. Keputusan yang sama telah direkodkan untuk purata isi padu min korpuskular (MCV) apabila dirawat pada dos 50 mg/kg. Pemeriksaan histopatologi organ tidak menunjukkan tanda keabnormalan dalam kedua-dua kumpulan rawatan dan kawalan. Keseluruhannya, keputusan menunjukkan bahawa pengambilan air nira adalah berpotensi selamat tanpa mempunyai kesan toksik akut ke atas model tikus makmal.

Kata kunci: Air nira (Nypa fruticans Wurmb.); histopatologi; ketoksikan akut; parameter biokimia; parameter hematologi

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*Corresponding author; email: sitifatimahroqiah@gmail.com