The study of toxicity and teratogenic effects of Nerium oleander leave's extract on chicken embryo

Aims and Nerium oleander is a medicinal plant with various biological activities such as antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxic effects. In the present work, methanolic extract of plant was used for the evaluation of toxicity and teratogenic effects on chicken embryo as an animal model. Methanolic extracts were prepared. Methanolic extract solutions in DMSO were injected in air sac of chicken eggs at concentrations of 5, 10, 20, 40, 60 and 80 μg/egg. Seventy two hours after incubation, eggs were placed at 37.7-38C° incubator. On the day 19 after incubation, eggs were opened and shown that 78.4, 65, 56.7, 46.7, 31.66 and 21.66 percent of embryos were alive, Results showed that LD50 was at the concentration of 43.60μg/egg. Morphological and skeletal abnormalities in the treatment groups showed that club foot and beak deformity were occurred in morphology while caudal vertebrate deletions, unossification or uncalcification of caudal vertebrates were appeared in skeleton of the Chickens. The study of methanolic extract showed that, with increasing concentration, mortality increased. The extract in low concentrations had negligible toxicity and teratogenic effects which can be used as therapeutic aims.