Abstract:
Background: Terminalia catappa Linn. is an ornamental tree belonging to the family
Combretaceae. This study was aimed at evaluating the toxicity profile and antioxidant activity of
the oil. Materials and Methods: Oral acute and sub-acute toxicity were studied in mice using the
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines. The antioxidant
activity was assessed using DPPH free radical. Results: Terminalia catappa seed oil demonstrated
antioxidant activity by scavenging DPPH free radical with IC50 of 1.425 mg/mL while tannic acid
(standard) was 5.005 mg/mL. The oral LD50 of the oil in mice was greater than 5000 mg/kg. The
sub-acute toxicity study, produced no significant difference in the weight and biochemical
parameters in treated animals compared to the control. Conclusion: The oil was also non-toxic
to the liver, kidney, heart and lungs on histopathological examination. Our results indicated that
Terminalia catappa seed oil is not toxic and contains beneficial phytochemical that demonstrated
antioxidant activity.
