División de Estudios de Posgrado

In this study, the possible preclinical toxic effects of the Tamarindus indica L tablets were evaluated by the acute oral toxicity (AOT) and oral mucosa
irritation (OMI), adapting guideline OECD 423 and ISO 10993-10, respectively. The AOT was evaluated, using the Class Toxocity Method in Sprague
Dawley females rats and the OMI was assessed in sirian hamsters, according to the acute exposure method. Any sign of toxicity were not observed in the
study. No animal death was occurring and the body weight increase in the two experimental groups was not statistically different. Slight irritation of the oral
mucosa of the animals was observed, but this fact didn't impede them to feed appropriately and they body weight increase normally during the assay.
Tamarind tablets were framed as non toxic substance and they produce a “light irritability” of the oral mucosa.
Keywords: irritability, acute toxicity class, tamarind tablets.

Background: It has been hypothesized that fatty acids derived from a diet high in saturated fat may negatively
affect endothelial function more significantly than a diet high in unsaturated fat; nevertheless, the effects of the
long-term ingestion of monounsaturated fatty acids on endothelial function have been poorly studied.
Methods: To examine the chronic effects of monounsaturated (e.g., extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)) or saturated (e.g.,
margarine (M)) fatty acid-rich diets on the development of insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction in rats,
three groups of rats were fed control, high-EVOO or high-M diets for 20 weeks. Body weight, energy consumption,
insulin resistance, lipid peroxidation and in vitro vascular reactivity with and without metformin were assessed
during the study period.
Results: Both high-fat diets produced obesity and insulin resistance. EVOO-fed rats showed smaller increases in
total cholesterol and arterial lipid peroxidation when compared with M-fed rats. Vascular reactivity to phenylephrine
and sodium nitroprusside was not modified, but the vasodilating effect of carbachol was especially reduced in the
M-fed rats compared with the EVOO-fed or control groups. Metformin addition to the incubation media decreased
the vascular response to phenylephrine; decrease that was lower in rats fed with both high fat diets, and increased
the carbachol and nitroprusside effects, but the metformin-enhanced response to carbachol was lower in the M
group.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that feeding rats with high quantities of EVOO, despite producing obesity and
insulin resistance, produces low levels of circulating cholesterol and arterial lipoperoxidation compared to M fed
rats and shows a preserved endothelial response to carbachol, effect that is significantly enhanced by metformin
only in rats fed with control and EVOO diets.
Keywords: Endothelial dysfunction, Obesity, Extra virgin olive oil, Insulin resistance