Evaluation of Toxic Effect of Transition Metal Complexes on Biochemical Parameters in Swiss Albino Mice

Abstract

In vivo acute toxic evaluation of two transition metal complexes of a Schiff base derived from salicylaldehyde and glycine, viz (SGCo)₂ [N-salicylidene glycinato diaqua cobalt(II) dimer] and (SGZ)₂ [N-salicylidene glycinato diaqua zinc(II) dimer] were studied in Swiss albino mice. The estimated median Lethal dose (LD₅₀) both of these complexes was 60 mg/kg (i.p.). Group 1 (n=16 mice) was treated with (SGCo)₂ for 10 days and Group 2 (n=16) with (SGZ)₂ for the same days. Group 3 (n=4 mice) was considered as control. The trial animals were monitored for 25 days providing with the same food and keeping in the same environment. Blood samples were taken from randomly selected 4 mice of each treated group on day 5, 10, 15 and 25 to study the selected biochemical parameters. The biochemical parameters were evaluated by an Automatic Analyzer (Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan using reagents of Randox Laboratories Ltd., UK). The average blood serum gultamate-oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) were recorded as 161.3 mg/d1, 116.4 mg/d1, 33.6 mg/d1, 118.7 U/L, 59.5 U/L and 92.4 U/L, respectively in G-1; 173.4 mg/d1, 131.6 mg/d1, 37.3 mg/d1, 121.5 mg/d1, 120.6 U/L, 58.4 U/L and 95.6 U/L, respectively in G-2; 138.9 mg/d1, 103.8 mg/d1, 24.5 mg/d1, 105.5 mg/d1, 106.4 U/L, 43.7 U/L and 71.9 U/L, respectively in the control group. The observed parameters were significantly higher in the treated mice compared with the control mice at different time points of comparison (p<0.05). These parameters were, however identical between the two treatment groups (p<0.05). The estimated average total protein level was 4.6 gm/d1 in G-1, 5.1 gm/d1 in G-2 and 7.9 gm/d1 in the control group which was lower than the normal value. The values of studied biochemical parameters were however, returned to the normalcy after 25 days of ceasing off the treatments. The obtained results indicate that, the studied metal compounds have practically no long-term toxic effects to the host.