The toxicity of Indian Calotropis procera RBr latex in the black rat, Rattus rattus Linn.

Toxicity studies with latex of Calotropis procera RBr were conducted in the black rat, Rattus rattus. The latex was fed through bait prepared from wheat flour, ground nut oil and sugar at concentrations of 5, 7.5 or 10% (W/W). The bait was fed up to mortality and for a maximum of 10 days. The signs produced were passivity, sluggishness, sedation, dyspnea, weakness, reduction in weight, anorexia, diarhhea, hematuria, bleeding from nose, eyes and anus, eye lens opacity, mild tetanic convulsions, collapse and death. The observed mortalities were 56.25, 68.75 and 87.5% with the respective doses. Histopathological studies showed: cloudy swelling of hepatocytes, inflammatory changes, Kupffer cell hyperlasia, cytoplasmic granulation, hepatocytolysis, compactness of lobular architecture, and occasional hemorrhage in the liver; cloudy swelling of convoluted tubular epithelium, inflammatory changes and hemorrhage in the kidney; erosion, increased mucus secretion, congestion and infiltration of lymphocytes in portions of the alimentary canal.