*Department of Science, College of Teachers, P.O. Box 4341, Riyadh 11491, Kingdom of Saudi Arbaia,
Email: ibrahim1551@hotmail.com
**Department of Pathology, Bioanalysis and Toxicology Section, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, P.O. Box 3354, Riyadh 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
ABSTRACT
The toxicity for rats of Cassia italica seeds incorporated in the normal diet at 2 and 10% was described. Decreased body weight, anemia, alteration in serum asparate aminotansferase (AST) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activities and concentrations of total bilirubin, urea, uric acid, potassium, triglycerides and other serum constituents were characterized. Cassia italica seeds fed to rats at 10% was toxic. In rats fed on 2% Cassia italica seeds diet, the effect was less marked. None of the rats fed Cassia italica seeds at 10% or 2% died during the 6 –week feeding.
Keywords: Medicinal plant; poisonous plant; toxicology.