Am J Chin Med. 1999 ; 27(3-4): 397-405.

Effects of various levels of dietary Lepidium sativum L. seeds in rats.

Adam SE.

Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, King Saud University, Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia.

A toxicity study was made on Lepidium sativum L. seeds used in Saudi traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments. Lepidium sativum L. seed fed to Wistar albino rats at 2% (w/w) was non-toxic, Ten percent (w/w) was toxic but not fatal and 50% (w/w) of the diet for 6 weeks was lethal and caused depression in growth rate and entero-hepato-nephrotoxicity. Organ lesions accompanied by anemia and leukopenia were correlated with alterations in serum AST and ALT activities and concentrations of total protein, cholesterol, urea, and other serum constituents.