Toxicological evaluation of sicklepod and black nightshade seeds in short-term feeding studies in rats

Nutritionally complete diets containing sicklepod or black nightshade seed at 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32% were fed to groups of three to five male Sprague-Dawley rats in a series of short-term (8-9 days) toxicity studies. Gross clinical observations, body weights and feed and water intake data were recorded. Clinical chemistry analyses, haematology, histology and bone-marrow evaluation for evidence of clastogenic effects were performed. In addition, groups of five female rats were fed sicklepod seed at the same dosages to compare effects on body weight and feed and water consumption. For sicklepod, all of the animals fed diet containing 32% seed and one (female) fed diet containing 16% seed died by day 8. Body-weight gain and feed and water consumption were decreased with increasing doses of sicklepod seed. Other effects of sicklepod seed included: testicular hypospermia at dosages of 8% or greater, and bone-marrow depletion, reduced numbers of polychromatic erythrocytes in the bone marrow, increased neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio, and red nasal discharge at 16%. Black nightshade seed was relatively non-toxic compared with the sicklepod. The principal adverse effects of black nightshade were decreased body-weight gain and feed consumption, which occurred during the first 3 days of the study in animals fed 32% seed.