Assessment of Acute and Sub-Acute Toxicity of Muskmelon Pectin on Wistar Rats Model

Abstract

Pectin is an ideal film-forming ingredient for fast-dissolving pharmaceutical films because of its enhanced hydrophilicity and biocompatibility. Using the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) protocol, the current study assesses the acute and subacute toxicological profiles of pectin derived from the muskmelon rind of Cucumis melo L. in Wistar rats. The Wistar rats were administered a single dose containing 100, 300, 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg of muskmelon pectin for the acute toxicity research. They were then monitored every week for changes in body weight, food intake, and mortality. The other group of rats received daily oral doses of 100, 300, 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg body weight as part of a 28-day sub-acute toxicity research to assess the extract's impact on histopathological and biochemical parameters. According to acute research, the minimum fatal dosage of pectin was around 2000 mg/kg per body weight. The outcomes obtained from the subacute toxicity investigations did not show any discernible differences from the control group, biochemical tests, or haematological analyses. The weight of the brain, lungs, heart, liver, and kidneys was the same. The findings showed that consuming 2000 mg/kg of muskmelon pectin daily by oral means was typically safe. The study also showed that pectin was not detrimental to development or reproduction, nor did it have immunostimulating or sensitizing effects.