Safety Evaluation of Spray-Dried Curcuma longa L. Extract for Pharmacopuncture: acute toxicity and neurobehavioral assessment in zebrafish
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Objectives: L. (CL) exhibits potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties suitable for pharmacopuncture; however, the clinical application of CL is severely hindered by poor aqueous solubility. Moreover, traditional ethanol-based extracts are unsuitable for safe parenteral administration due to the risk of tissue necrosis and neurotoxicity at sensitive acupoint sites. Thus, no systematic safety evaluation of water-soluble CL extract (CLE) formulations for injection has yet been conducted. Methods: ), survival, and locomotor behavior were determined using probit regression and automated EthoVision XT tracking following a 96-hour exposure of adult zebrafish to SDCLE (0-500 mg/L). Results: values, from 469.96 mg/L at 24 h to 288.13 mg/L at 96 h. Acute toxicity analysis identified a no-observed-effect concentration (NOEC) of 144.07 mg/L and a lowest-observed-effect concentration (LOEC) of 187.28 mg/L. Exposure to concentrations ≤ 200 mg/L resulted in > 95% survival and preserved normal locomotor activity, whereas concentrations ≥ 300 mg/L induced pronounced neurobehavioral suppression, characterized by a 35% reduction in swimming distance and a six-fold increase in inactivity. Conclusion: of 288.13 mg/L was employed to define mortality, while neurobehavioral endpoints indicated toxicity at sublethal concentrations, supporting the safety of concentrations ≤ 200 mg/L for rational SDCLE dose selection.
Source: Journal of pharmacopuncture
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Medicine
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7141198585
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