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Journal of Thai Traditional & Alternative Medicine Vol. 7 No. 1 January-April 2009
Vol. 7 No. 1 January-April 2009
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Original Article

Chronic Toxicity of Thunbergia laurifolia Lindl.

Extract

Songpol Chivapat* ,#
Pranee Chavalittumrong*
Aimmanas Attawish*
Jaree Bansiddhi*
Songpol Padungpat*

Abstract
Thunbergia laurifolia Lindl., or rang chuet, is a medicinal plant that is used for the treatment of poison-
ing with toxic substances. However, the toxicological data for this plant are not complete. Therefore, a chronic
toxicity study of rang chuet extract (TLE) was undertaken in six groups of Wistar rats. The control group
(group 1) was given 10 ml/kg of distilled water per day orally. The five experimental groups (groups 2-6) were
orally administered TLE at doses of 20, 200, 1,000, 2,000 and 2,000 mg/kg/day for six months, respectively,
which were equivalent to 1, 10, 50, and 100 times the therapeutic dose. Group 6 (2000R) was added to the
study recovery group after 14 days of TLE discontinuation. The results revealed that TLE did not affect the
body weight, food consumption, behavior or general health of the animals. TLE did not produce cumulative
toxic signs and fatal effects. Male rats receiving TLE at the dose of 2,000 mg/kg/day and the 2000R group had
a significant decrease in RBCs, including a significant difference in red cell indices, but these were within the
normal range. Female rats receiving TLE at doses of 1,000 and 2,000 mg/kg/day showed significant increases
in WBCs. Both sexes of the rats treated with 2,000 mg/kg of TLE had a significant increase in bilirubin levels;
however, these were within the normal range. TLE did not produce any histological alterations of the visceral
organs in any group of rats. However, the results suggest that hematological and clinical chemistry values
should be monitored during prolonged use of TLE.
Key words: Thunbergia laurifolia, chronic toxicity

Introduction in diameter, and pale blue in color. Capsules are 1.5
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Thunbergia laurifolia Lindl. is a large woody cm wide, with beaks up to 3 cm long. The plants
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climber belonging to the Family Acanthaceae includ- are common in tropical and mixed forest throughout
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ing Thunbergiaceae. Its leaves are ovate or oblong- the country, often cultivated as an ornamental plant
lanceolate, almost entire repand-toothed, more or less or trained over walls or trellises. This plant has many
glossy. Inflorescences as a raceme are pendulous in local names in Thai such as rang chuet, rang yen or
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the axil of leaves. The flowers are large, about 5-8 cm nam nong. The leaves and stems of T. laurifolia are
used as a detoxifying agent in cases of poisoning and
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also as an antipyretic in Thai traditional medicine.
*Medicinal Plant Research Institute, Department of Medical Sciences,
Phytochemical constituents of T. laurifolia leaves are
Tiwanont Road, Muaeng District, Nonthaburi Province, Thailand 11000.
# Corresponding author. Tel: (662) 589-9850-9; Fax (662) 589-9866. phenolic, carotenoid and chlorophyll compounds, be-
E-mail address: schivapat@yahoo.com sides caffeic acid and apigenin are found to be major

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