ABSTRACT
The toxicity activities have to be done in two species: in rodent and nonrodent. Toxicity studies that are acute, subacute and chronic are time-consuming, especially studies on mutagenicity, carcinogenicity and teratogenicity. In India, in general, pharmacological screening on intact animals, as well as on tissues and organs isolated from their bodies, is done. Guinea-pigs, albino rats, rabbits, frogs, and dogs are commonly used animals. Prednisolone or histamine or aspirin/phenyl-butazone or stress-induced ulcers in guinea pigs, rats respectively. Gastric pouch studies and analysis of gastric juices. Besides routine toxicity studies, studies are being done by using cell lines or even human cancerous or rat’s tissue using Western Blotting technique and other similar methods to find changes in genomic proteins and the cell dividing enzymes. On the basis of pharmacological and toxicological studies, a new classification of Indian medicinal plants has emerged. This has facilitated further research in the right direction and paved the way for appropriate clinical trials.
