Objective: Pellionia heyneana Wedd. leaf has been used by the Cholanaikan tribe as a traditional medicine to enhance immunity and also to treat various liver ailments. However, no scientific reports are available regarding its long term toxicity studies. The objective of the present study was to investigate the chronic oral toxicity study of P. heyneana leaf.Methods: In the present study, scientific evaluation of oral toxicity of P. heyneana crude ethanolic leaf extract (PHLE) and leaf ethanolic fraction (PHEF) were carried out in Wistar rats. Animals were fed with three varying concentrations (500 mg/kg, 1000 mg/kg and 1500 mg/kg) of PHLE and PHEF for 90 d. During the study period, all the animals were closely observed for any morbidity or mortality, food and water intake, body weight etc. The effect of PHLE and PHEF on animal behaviour, metabolism, liver function, kidney function, blood glucose level, in vivo antioxidant status, haematological parameters, histopathology of internal organs etc. were evaluated after 90 d chronic toxicity study.Results: All the animals administered with PHLE/PHEF up to 1500 mg/kg dose did not show any deleterious changes in normal metabolism, histopathology of internal organs, haematological and biochemical indices.Conclusion: All these results revealed that PHLE and PHEF of P. heyneana are non toxic in long term oral administration in Wistar rats.Â
