Adil Anum, Khan Saira Saeed, Naeem Sadaf, Alqahtani Ali, Alqahtani Taha, Asgher Shuja Ali, Tahir Anosh
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2025 Jul 11;20(7):e0327697. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0327697. eCollection 2025.
Charmagaz seed oil (CSO), derived from Cucurbitaceae family, and is a traditional mix of four different seeds: pumpkin, cucumber, watermelon, and musk melon. Widely utilized in Asia, this blend is considered as a brain tonic and a nutritional powerhouse. Despite its significant ethno medicinal value, the potential toxicity and safety of this combination oil have not been scientifically documented. Therefore, the current study was conducted to assess the sub-acute toxicity of Charmagaz seed oil in rat model for the assessment of its safety profile. For acute oral toxicity CSO was given at doses of 50, 500, and 5000 mg/kg orally over 28 days in rats. No evidence of toxicity was observed in animals when acutely exposed to CSO, implying that the LD50 is higher than 5000 mg/kg body weight. Cell viability assay revealed that Charmagaz oil is relatively non-toxic, showing an inhibition rate below 50% following 24 and 48-hour exposures. In the Brine Shrimp bioassay, oil demonstrated no cytotoxic effects, unlike the standard cytotoxic drug Etoposide, which resulted in 70% mortality at a 7.5 μg/ml concentration. No treatment-related toxicity or death was seen in any of the animals receiving dosages of 500 and 5000 mg/kg during the course of the 28-day study period, according to sub-acute oral toxicity tests. Additionally, no significant alterations (p > 0.05) were detected in hematological or biochemical parameters across the dosed groups. The administration of Charmagaz seed oil led to a modest elevation in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, likely due to its polyunsaturated fatty acids content. Since the liver is a major organ involved in lipid metabolism hence, histopathological analysis was conducted to determine the effects of Charmagaz oil on hepatic tissues. The analysis revealed a positive correlation with biochemical results from liver function enzyme tests. Thus, this study provides evidence suggesting the safety of Charmagaz oil consumption at doses up to 5000 mg/kg.
查尔马加兹籽油（CSO）源自葫芦科，是由南瓜、黄瓜、西瓜和甜瓜四种不同种子混合而成的传统油类。这种混合油在亚洲被广泛使用，被视为一种补脑剂和营养 powerhouse。尽管其具有重要的民族药用价值，但这种混合油的潜在毒性和安全性尚未得到科学记录。因此，本研究旨在评估查尔马加兹籽油在大鼠模型中的亚急性毒性，以评估其安全性。对于急性口服毒性，在大鼠中连续28天口服给予剂量为50、500和5000毫克/千克的CSO。急性暴露于CSO时，未在动物中观察到毒性迹象，这意味着半数致死剂量高于5000毫克/千克体重。细胞活力测定表明，查尔马加兹油相对无毒，在暴露24小时和48小时后抑制率低于50%。在卤虫生物测定中，与标准细胞毒性药物依托泊苷不同，该油未显示细胞毒性作用，依托泊苷在浓度为7.5微克/毫升时导致70%的死亡率。根据亚急性口服毒性试验，在28天的研究期间，接受500和5000毫克/千克剂量的任何动物均未出现与治疗相关的毒性或死亡。此外，各给药组的血液学或生化参数均未检测到显著变化（p＞0.05）。查尔马加兹籽油的给药导致高密度脂蛋白胆固醇略有升高，但这可能是由于其多不饱和脂肪酸含量所致。由于肝脏是参与脂质代谢的主要器官，因此进行了组织病理学分析，以确定查尔马加兹油对肝脏组织的影响。分析结果与肝功能酶测试的生化结果呈正相关。因此，本研究提供了证据表明，食用剂量高达5000毫克/千克的查尔马加兹油是安全的。
