Acute oral toxicity study
Oral LD 50 of mother tinctures in rats was found to be >4ml/kg body weight. Administration of mother tinctures at a dose of 4 ml/kg body weight showed survival of more than 50% of animals in tested groups. Ten percent mortality was found in four groups viz. Rauwolfia serpentina mother tincture, Curcuma longa control, Rauwolfia serpentina control and Ricinus communis mother tinctures [Figure 1]. Thus, results demonstrated that the mother tinctures at a dose of 4 ml/kg can be considered safe in rats.[/QUOTE}
They in no way determined the LD50. The idea that because less than 50% of 10 individuals died means you can conclude the LD50 is greater than the single dosage level of the study suggests the investigators are either incompetent or ignorant. This generously might be considered a toxicity screening study. But to go on and declare the MTs are safe when, for four of the tested substances 1 in 10 test animals died, is ridiculous. The paper says the acute toxicity groups were observed for 14 days after dosing; why is there no mention of when during this time mortality occurred? And no apparent investigation as to the causes of the deaths? Later in the paper there is speculation the deaths may have resulted from acute alcohol poisoning from the solvent used in the tinctures. The investigators show a distinct lack of curiosity about these aspects of their study. I doubt if they evaluated a study of conventional medicine toxicity they would be sanguine about any reported mortality.
