Physicochemical, Toxicity and Antioxidant Activity of Terminalia catappa Kernel Oil in Mice

Background: Terminalia catappa Linn. is an ornamental tree belonging to the family Combretaceae. This study was aimed at evaluating the toxicity profile and antioxidant activity of the oil. Materials and Methods: Oral acute and sub-acute toxicity were studied in mice using the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines. The antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH free radical. Results: Terminalia catappa seed oil demonstrated antioxidant activity by scavenging DPPH free radical with IC₅₀ of 1.425 mg/mL while tannic acid (standard) was 5.005 mg/mL. The oral LD₅₀ of the oil in mice was greater than 5000 mg/kg. The sub-acute toxicity study, produced no significant difference in the weight and biochemical parameters in treated animals compared to the control. Conclusion: The oil was also non-toxic to the liver, kidney, heart and lungs on histopathological examination. Our results indicated that Terminalia catappa seed oil is not toxic and contains beneficial phytochemical that demonstrated antioxidant activity.