Subacute Oral Toxicity Study of Arsenic Compound Sameerpannag Rasa in Albino Rats

Abstract

Background: Despite the long tradition of thousands of years and acceptance in common public, Ayurvedic
medicines of mercurial, metallic and mineral origin are seen with fear and doubt because in toxicology
mercury, metals etc. are known as toxic to the human body. The main reason for dispute lays in the method
of analysis of the Ayurvedic metallic and mercurial medicines. The usual method of analysis of medicines
for heavy metals is usually atomic absorption spectro-photometry etc. where elements can be detected but
the molecular form is not detected. Arsenic in Sameerpannag Ras is more than a thousand times higher
than the permissible limit of Arsenic in medicines, still successful use of this medicine is Ayurveda practice
brings the hypothesis that it is non-toxic in therapeutic dose.
Method: Sameerpannag Ras is a medicinal compound made with three Arsenic ores and Sulphur. Proper
animal ethics committee approval was taken, 150 Albino rats were divided into five groups viz control,
vehicle control, therapeutic dose, 2X dose and 5X dose. Subacute oral toxicity study was conducted as per
OECD guidelines, general behaviours, blood analysis and histopathology study of vital organs were done
to access toxicity.
Results: Histopathology study reveals that the consumption of Sameerpannag Rasa in therapeutic dose as
well as in five times the therapeutic dose for 28 days did not cause any significant changes in tissues of liver,
kidney, lungs, heart or brain. The behaviour of animals was unchanged during the study, also there was no
mortality during the study period.
Conclusion: Sameerpannag Ras prepared as per classical Ayurvedic pharmaceutical procedure consumed
in therapeutic dose is non-toxic in acute toxicity study. Irrespective of the Arsenic as its major constituent,
the pharmaceutical method makes it not-toxic, hence re-establishing its safety and relevance in Ayurveda
system of medicine.