Acute Oral Toxicity Assessment of Borassus flabellifer Polysaccharides in Wistar Rats

Abstract

Borassus flabellifer (Asian palmyra palm) is a widely consumed tropical plant rich in bioactive polysaccharides with potential applications in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical formulations. However, scientific data regarding the safety of isolated polysaccharide fractions remain limited. The present study aimed to evaluate the acute oral toxicity of Borassus flabellifer polysaccharides (BFF-PS) in Wistar rats following the OECD 425 limit test. A single oral dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight was administered to female rats, and animals were observed for 14 days for clinical signs of toxicity, behavioural changes, mortality, body-weight variation, and organ abnormalities. Hematological, biochemical, and histopathological evaluations were also performed. No mortality or treatment-related toxic manifestations were observed throughout the study period. Body-weight gain, hematological indices, renal and hepatic biochemical markers, lipid profile parameters, and histological architecture of vital organs remained within normal physiological limits. The findings indicate that BFF-PS is non-toxic at the tested dose, with an estimated oral LD₅₀ greater than 2000 mg/kg, supporting its safety for further pharmacological and formulation studies.