Abstract
Acute toxicity studies of glucuronoxylan polysaccharide isolated from Cydonia oblonga M. (quince) seeds were performed on white albino mice and rabbits. Quince seed polysaccharides (QSP) were administered orally to groups II, III and IV in different doses, i.e., 1, 2 and 5 g/kg body weight, respectively. Group I was assigned as control and left untreated. Body weight, food and water intake of mice were monitored before and after administration of QSP on day 1, 2, 3, 7 and 14. Furthermore, the mice were also monitored for any symptoms of tremors, allergy, diarrhea, vomiting and abnormal reflexes for 8 h after oral administration of QSP. On the 15 th day, blood samples of the control and treated group animals were collected for determining the haematological and serum biochemical parameters. The relative organ body weight of all vital organs was calculated and their histopathology was studied. The study revealed that there was no significant difference in body weight, food and water consumption. The behavioral pattern of the control and treated animals was alike. The haematological and biochemical parameters of the treated animals were comparable with those of the control group animals. The relative organ body weight of the animals from all the groups has not shown any significant difference. The histopathology of vital organs of both control and treated animals showed no lesions, establishing oral safety of QSP. Studies of dermal, ocular and cardiac toxicity of QSP were performed on rabbits and established the quince seed polysaccharide to be a safe excipient for drug delivery systems.