Objective:To explore the toxicities and their toxic sites of 5 species of Ferula sinkiangensis K.M. Shen, including Ferula songarica ( F. songarica), Ferula feruloides ( F. feruloides), Ferula akitschkensis ( F. akitschkensis), Ferula dissecta ( F. dissecta), and Ferula syreitschikowii ( F. syreitschikowii) in vitro experiments. Methods:Five ethanol extracts of Ferula sinkiangensis K.M. Shen were prepared using 95% ethanol reflux method. The 5 ethanol extracts were added to human embryonic kidney epithelial cells (HKC), human normal liver cells (L02 cells), and zebrafish embryo culture medium at 5 different concentrations, respectively. The relevant blank group and normal control group were set up meanwhile. The inhibition rates of HKC and L02 proliferation at 24 hours of culture under 37.0 ℃ and survival rates of zebrafish embryos at 24, 48, and 72 hours of culture under 37.0 ℃ were calculated. The most toxic specie of the 5 Fragrant Ferula L. was selected and the extracts from different polar parts (petroleum ether, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, water saturated n-butanol, and water parts) were prepared for the above mentioned cytotoxicity and zebrafish embryotoxicity tests to clarify the toxicities. Results:Cytotoxicity tests showed that among 5 ethanol extracts of Fragrant Ferula L., the half inhibitory concentration ( IC50) of the F. songarica (70.92 μg/ml and 42.33 μg/ml) to HKC and L02 cells were lowest, and the IC50 of F. feruloides (107.80 μg/ml and 97.92 μg/ml) were highest. The zebrafish embryotoxicity test showed that at concentration of 1.0 μg/ml, embryonic death occurred when cultured 48 hours in the F. songarica group, with a survival rate of 70% (14/20), while it had a survival rate of 100% (20/20) in the other 4 groups; at concentration of 10.0 μg/ml, the embryo survival rate in the F. feruloides group was 50% (10/20) when cultured 24 hours, while it had a survival rate of 0 (0/20) in the other 4 groups. Cytotoxicity tests were conducted using extracts from the petroleum ether, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, water saturated n-butanol, and water parts of F. songarica, the IC50 of the petroleum ether parts (77.35 μg/ml and 67.73 μg/ml) to HKC and L02 cell proliferation were the lowest and of the water parts (731.52 μg/ml and 364.09 μg/ml) were the highest. In the zebrafish embryotoxicity test, the survival rate of zebrafish embryos in the petroleum ether group was the lowest. The survival rate was 50% at concentration of 3.0 μg/ml for 72 hours′ culture and at concentration of 10.0 μg/ml for 24 hours′ culture. The survival rate was 0 at concentration of 10.0 μg/ml for 48 and 72 hours′ culture, as well as at 30.0 μg/ml at all observation times. Conclusions:Among the 5 Ferula sinkiangensis K.M. Shen, the toxicity of F. songarica is relatively high, while that of F. feruloides is relatively low. The toxic parts of F. songarica may mostly accumulate in petroleum ether parts.

Objective:To explore the toxicities and their toxic sites of 5 species of Ferula sinkiangensis K.M. Shen, including Ferula songarica ( F. songarica), Ferula feruloides ( F. feruloides), Ferula akitschkensis ( F. akitschkensis), Ferula dissecta ( F. dissecta), and Ferula syreitschikowii ( F. syreitschikowii) in vitro experiments. Methods:Five ethanol extracts of Ferula sinkiangensis K.M. Shen were prepared using 95% ethanol reflux method. The 5 ethanol extracts were added to human embryonic kidney epithelial cells (HKC), human normal liver cells (L02 cells), and zebrafish embryo culture medium at 5 different concentrations, respectively. The relevant blank group and normal control group were set up meanwhile. The inhibition rates of HKC and L02 proliferation at 24 hours of culture under 37.0 ℃ and survival rates of zebrafish embryos at 24, 48, and 72 hours of culture under 37.0 ℃ were calculated. The most toxic specie of the 5 Fragrant Ferula L. was selected and the extracts from different polar parts (petroleum ether, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, water saturated n-butanol, and water parts) were prepared for the above mentioned cytotoxicity and zebrafish embryotoxicity tests to clarify the toxicities. Results:Cytotoxicity tests showed that among 5 ethanol extracts of Fragrant Ferula L., the half inhibitory concentration ( IC50) of the F. songarica (70.92 μg/ml and 42.33 μg/ml) to HKC and L02 cells were lowest, and the IC50 of F. feruloides (107.80 μg/ml and 97.92 μg/ml) were highest. The zebrafish embryotoxicity test showed that at concentration of 1.0 μg/ml, embryonic death occurred when cultured 48 hours in the F. songarica group, with a survival rate of 70% (14/20), while it had a survival rate of 100% (20/20) in the other 4 groups; at concentration of 10.0 μg/ml, the embryo survival rate in the F. feruloides group was 50% (10/20) when cultured 24 hours, while it had a survival rate of 0 (0/20) in the other 4 groups. Cytotoxicity tests were conducted using extracts from the petroleum ether, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, water saturated n-butanol, and water parts of F. songarica, the IC50 of the petroleum ether parts (77.35 μg/ml and 67.73 μg/ml) to HKC and L02 cell proliferation were the lowest and of the water parts (731.52 μg/ml and 364.09 μg/ml) were the highest. In the zebrafish embryotoxicity test, the survival rate of zebrafish embryos in the petroleum ether group was the lowest. The survival rate was 50% at concentration of 3.0 μg/ml for 72 hours′ culture and at concentration of 10.0 μg/ml for 24 hours′ culture. The survival rate was 0 at concentration of 10.0 μg/ml for 48 and 72 hours′ culture, as well as at 30.0 μg/ml at all observation times. Conclusions:Among the 5 Ferula sinkiangensis K.M. Shen, the toxicity of F. songarica is relatively high, while that of F. feruloides is relatively low. The toxic parts of F. songarica may mostly accumulate in petroleum ether parts.