Evaluation of Acute Oral Toxicity, Anti-inflammatory and Anti-hyperuricemic Activities of the Herbal Remedy Lamgout in Mice

Abstract

Background: Lamgout is a herbal preparation containing eight medicinal plants and was experimentally evaluated for acute oral toxicity, anti-inflammatory activity, and uric acid-lowering effects in mice. Methods: Swiss albino mice were used for the experiments. Acute oral toxicity was assessed following administration of the maximum feasible volume of Lamgout extract, corresponding to 182 g of dried herbal material/kg, and the animals were observed for up to 14 days. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using a 1% carrageenan-induced hind paw oedema model after oral treatment with Lamgout at 7 or 14 g of dried herb/kg; diclofenac 5 mg/kg served as the positive control. Anti-hyperuricaemic activity was assessed in potassium oxonate-induced hyperuricaemia using preventive and therapeutic models, with allopurinol 10 mg/kg as the positive control. Results: No mortality or observable signs of acute toxicity occurred following administration of 182 g of dried herb/kg. Both Lamgout doses significantly reduced carrageenan-induced paw oedema compared with the model control. In the preventive model, plasma uric acid was reduced by 37.07% and 50.86% at 7 and 14 g/kg, respectively, compared with 82.76% for allopurinol. In the therapeutic model, the corresponding reductions were 40.52%, 43.97%, and 74.14%. Conclusion: Under the experimental conditions used, Lamgout showed no observable acute oral toxicity at the maximum tested dose and demonstrated anti-inflammatory and uric acid-lowering activities in mice. Further studies are required to characterise its active constituents, mechanisms, longer-term safety, and potential clinical relevance.