Table 5.
Adverse effects and toxicological attributes of Prosopis plants.
| Species | Model | Plant Part | Formulation/Dosage | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cytotoxicity | |||||
| P. juliflora | Wistar rats | In an acute toxicity study P. juliflora extract was administered orally at doses ranging from 50 to 500 mg kg−1 and the animals were observed for any toxic symptoms for 72 h. In a subacute toxicity study ethanolic extracts of P. juliflora were tested at a dose of 200 mg kg−1 orally once daily for 30 days. | No changes in hematological, biochemical, renal and liver function parameters were stated in experimental animals of in this sub-chronic study when compared to control animals | [93] | |
| P. juliflora | Cattle and goats | Leaves | Cattle and goats experimentally intoxicated presents neurotoxic damage in the central nervous system | Histologic lesions were mainly characterized by vacuolation and loss of neurons in trigeminal motor nuclei. Mitochondrial damage in neurons and gliosis was reported in trigeminal nuclei of intoxicated cattle | [96] |
| P. cineraria | Swiss albino mice | Leaves | Different doses of extract were used for screening. | The extracts of investigated plants are relatively safe at the dose of 100 mg/kg b.w. | [94] |
| P. juliflora | Astrocyte primary cultures derived from the cortex of newborn Wistar rats | In vivo method | TAE and seven alkaloidal fractions, at concentrations ranging 0.03–30 μg/ml | TAE and fractions F29/30, F31/33, F32 and F34/35 were cytotoxic to astrocytes, with EC50 values for the most toxic compounds, TAE, F31/33 and F32, being respectively, 2.87 2.82 and 3.01 μg/mL. Astrocytes exposed to 3 μg/mL TAE, F29/30 or F31/33 developed compact cell body with many processes overexpressing GFAP. Treatment with 30 μg/mL TAE and fractions, induced cytotoxicity characterized by a strong cell body contraction, very thin and long processes and condensed chromatin. Also, the proportion of OX-42 positive cells was increased in cultures treated with 30 μg/mL TAE or F29/30, F31/33, F32 and F34/35, with values raging from 7.27 to 28.74%. Moreover, incubation with 3 μg/mL F32, 30 μg/mL TAE, F29/30, F31/33 or F34/35 induced accumulation of nitrite in culture medium indicating induction of NO production | [97] |
| P. glandulosa | Mice | 2,3-Dihydro-1H-indolizinium alkaloid-prosopilosidine (PPD) was studied against C. neoformans in a murine model of cryptococcosis. Mice were infected via the tail vein with live C. neoformans. Twenty-four hours post-infection, the mice were administered with PPD once a day (i.p.) or twice a day (bid) orally, or with amphotericin B (Amp B) intraperitoneally (IP), or with fluconazole (Flu) orally for 5 days | PPD showed potent in vivo activity against C. neoformans at 0.0625 mg/kg by eliminating ~76% of the organisms compared to ~83% with Amp B (1.5 mg/kg). In addition, PPD was equally efficacious, but less toxic, at either 0.125 or 0.0625 mg/kg compared to Amp B (1.5 mg/kg) when it was administered bid (twice a day) i.p. When tested by an oral route, PPD (10 mg/kg) showed potent activity in this murine model of cryptococcosis with ~82% of organisms eliminated from the brain tissue, whereas Flu (15 mg/kg) reduced ~90% of the infection. | [90] | |
| Fertility | |||||
| Mesquite | Female and male rats | Pod | Female and male rats’ group as vehicle, mesquite pod extract, DAI and E2 were administered subcutaneously for 30 days. | These extracts disrupted both female and male sexual behavior in a similar way to DAI, but less than E2. Mesquite pod extract increased the number of days in estrus and decreased lordosis intensity during proestrus. Mesquite pod extract-treated males showed lower testicular and glandular weights, as well as decreased sperm motility, viability and count. In females treated with mesquite pod extract, the number of pups was lower than in control females, and 10 to 20% of pups were dead. These effects were similar to those with DAI-treatment. Despite the lower sperm quality, the fertility of mesquite pod extract- and DAI-treated males seem not to be disrupted, as they could impregnate control females | [98] |
| Mesquite | Male rat | Pod | The following treatments were given to groups of intact male rats: vehicle; mesquite pod extract; E; DAI; GEN. | Mesquite pod extracts disrupt male sexual behavior in a similar way to DAI and GEN, but less than E. The main disruptor of sexual behavior was E, however after 40 and 50 days of administration, extracts and phytoestrogens disrupted sexual behavior in a similar way to E. The extracts also increased testicular germ cell apoptosis, decreased sperm quality, testicular weight, and testosterone levels, as phytoestrogens did, although these effects were less than those caused by estradiol. Number of seminiferous tubules increased in extracts-treated groups in a similar way to phytoestrogens groups, and E caused the greatest effect. Testicular atrophy was only observed in estradiol-treated males. Testosterone declined in males of all experimental groups compared with control. Mesquite pod extracts cause effects similar to those of phytoestrogens in male rat reproduction, these effects were lower than those caused by E | [99] |
| Allergy | |||||
| Mesquite | PAR patients | Pollen | Patients demonstrating a positive PST response to mesquite only were used for mesquite conventional subcutaneous ASIT | 86/200 patients displayed a positive PST response to mesquite allergen, of them, 38 were positive to mesquite allergen only. Remarkable attenuation in symptom and medication scores were recorded in 24/38 patients 4 months post-ASIT initiation | [100] |
ASIT, Allergen-specific immunotherapy; PST, prick skin testing.