Abstract:In order to compare the toxic potency between processed and fermentation products of Croton tiglium,the acute oral toxicity,inflammation causing effect and hematocytolysis were observed among raw Semen crotonis(seed kernel),sterilized Semen crotonis,raw Fructus crotonis(whole fruit),sterilized Fructus crotonis,Testa et pericarpium crotonis(fruit shell and seed coat),Semen crotonis pulveratum(defatted croton seed powder) and the two fermentation products of Fructus crotonis solid-fermented by Ganoderma lucidum and Beauveria bassiana(called Lingba Junzhi and Baiba Junzhi in Chinese,respectively).After being administrated by i.g.once or many times one day,the order of the median lethal dose(LD50) of mice was Lingba Junzhi as(1.541 g/kg),Baiba Junzhi(1.495 g/kg),sterilized whole fruit(0.894 g/kg),defatted croton seed powder(0.787 g/kg),sterilized seed kernel(0.728 g/k),raw whole fruit(0.38 g/kg) and raw seed kernel(0.308 g/kg).While the fruit shell and seed coat was low-toxic and its maximum dosage to infuse to mice was about 12.5 g/kg.When applying their ether extracts on the mouse ears,the raw seed kernel,sterilized seed kernel,raw whole fruit,sterilized whole fruit and defatted croton seed powder induced swelling(inflammation) of the mouse ears;but the fruit shell and seed coat,Lingba Junzhi and Baiba Junzhi.Adding their saline extracts to 2% rabbit erythrocyte suspension to investigate hemolysis in vitro,only the raw seed kernel and raw whole fruit caused obvious hemolysis;the sterilized seed kernel,sterilized whole fruit,defatted croton seed powder fruit shell and seed coat,Lingba Junzhi and Baiba Junzhi didn’t.The experimental results have shown that the toxicity of the both processed and fermented Croton tiglium are lower than that of the original crude drug,and the fermentation products of Fructus crotonis exhibited a much lower toxicity.
