Astragalus Membranaceus

The Basics On Astragalus Membranaceus

What is Astragalus Membranaceus?

Latin name for the Chinese herb Huang-Qi, also known as milk vetch.

What are other names for Astragalus Membranaceus?

ASTRAGALUS MEMBRANACEUS (HUANG QI) ROOT EXTRACT, ASTRAGALUS MEMBRANACEUS EXTRACT, ASTRAGALUS MEMBRANACEUS ROOT EXTRACT, ASTRAGALUS MEMBRANACEUS, EXT., EXTRACT OF ASTRAGALUS MEMBRANACEUS, and HUANG QI ROOT EXTRACT

What is Astragalus Membranaceus used for?

Simply put, the use of Astragalus membranaceus in a skincare formula can lead to decreased MMP-1 responsible for the breakdown of collagen, an increase in hyaluronic acid responsible for skin hydration, and decreased melanin production due to UV damage (4, 7).

How Astragalus Membranaceus is classified

Antioxidants, Plant Extracts

Recommendations for using Astragalus Membranaceus during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Limited data suggests no known risk

 

Astragalus Membranaceus During Pregnancy

What we know about using Astragalus Membranaceus while pregnant or breastfeeding

Limited information available.

Carrageenan, Calcium Carrageenan, And Sodium Carrageenan Long-term multigeneration effects of the dietary intake of calcium carrageenan were measured in a three-generation reproduction and teratology study using Osborne-Mendel rats.95 Dietary levels of 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.5% or 5.0% were ingested throughout the study. Carrageenan ingestion caused dose-related and significant decreases in the weights of offspring at weaning, but no effects on the following parameters were detected: average litter size, average number of liveborn animals, viability or survival of offspring. The teratogenicity/fetotoxicity of calcium κ,λ-carrageenan, sodium κ,λ-carrageenan, and ι-carrageenan was studied using Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). 96 Doses of 10, 40, 100 or 200 mg/kg/day were given by oral intubation on days 6 through 10 of gestation. No dose-related teratogenic or fetotoxic effects occurred after dosing with either of the 3 test substances. Croscarmellose In a developmental toxicity study on croscarmellose sodium, groups of pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats (25/group) were fed 0 ppm (control), 10,000 ppm, or 50,000 ppm Ac-Di-Sol (croscarmellose sodium) in the diet on gestation days 6 to 15.78 No evidence of maternal, fetal, or embryotoxicity was noted. External malformations were not observed in this study, and there were no statistically significant findings that were considered treatment-related. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for croscarmellose in both studies exceeded 50,000 ppm in the diet, which represents doses of 3922 and 4712 mg/kg/day for males and females, respectively. Cyclodextrin The embryotoxicity/teratogenicity of γ-cyclodextrin was examined using Wistar Crl:(WI)WU BR rats.97 γCyclodextrin was fed at dietary concentrations of 0, 1.5, 5, 10, and 20% to groups of 25 pregnant female rats from day 0 to 21 of gestation. A comparison group received a diet containing 20% lactose. The rats were killed on day 21 and examined for standard parameters of reproductive performance. The fetuses were examined for signs of toxic and teratogenic effects. Generally, γ-cyclodextrin was well-tolerated and no deaths occurred in any group. Weight gain and food consumption were similar in all groups during gestation, except for a slightly reduced food intake in the 20% γ-cyclodextrin group from day 0 to 16. Reproductive performance was not affected by treatment with γ-cyclodextrin. Examination of the fetuses for external, visceral, and skeletal alterations did not reveal any fetotoxic, embryotoxic, or teratogenic effects of γ-cyclodextrin. It was concluded that no adverse effects were observed at γ-cyclodextrin concentrations up to approximately 20% in the diet (approximately 11 g/kg body weight/day). In a similar study, the embryotoxicity/teratogenicity of α-cyclodextrin was examined in Wistar Crl:(WI)WU BR rats. α-Cyclodextrin was fed at dietary concentrations of 0, 1.5, 5, 10, or 20% to groups of 25 pregnant female rats from day 0 to 21 of gestation.98 An additional group received a diet containing 20% lactose. The rats were killed on day 21 and examined for standard parameters of maternal reproductive performance. The fetuses were examined for skeletal and visceral abnormalities, body weight and crown rump length. Generally, α-cyclodextrin was well-tolerated and no deaths occurred in any group. Weight gain and food consumption were similar in all groups during gestation, except for a slightly, yet significantly, increased food intake in the 20% α-cyclodextrin group on days 6 to 16 (p < 0.05) and 16 to 21 (p < 0.001). Maternal reproductive performance was not affected by α-cyclodextrin treatment. Examination of the fetuses for external, visceral, and skeletal changes did not reveal any fetotoxic, embryotoxic, or teratogenic effects of α-cyclodextrin. It was concluded that no adverse effects were observed at α-cyclodextrin concentrations up to 20% in the diet, the highest concentration tested, which corresponded to approximately 13 g/kg body weight/day. In a standard embryotoxicity/teratogenicity study, γ-cyclodextrin was administered to groups of 16 artificially inseminated New Zealand White rabbits at dietary concentrations of 0, 5, 10, or 20%.99 A comparison group received a diet containing 20% lactose. Treatment started on day 0 of gestation and ended on day 29, when the animals were killed. Except for the occurrence of transient diarrhea in 2 and 3 rabbits of the 10% and 20% γ-cyclodextrin groups, respectively, in the first few days, the treatment was well-tolerated. Reduced food intake in the 20% γ-cyclodextrin group during the first week of treatment resulted in reduced weight gain during this period. However, after week 1, there were no differences in weight gain among the groups and, at termination of the study, body weights were similar in all groups. Even at the highest dose, which corresponded to an intake of 5–7 g/kg body weight/day, no signs of maternal toxicity were observed. Reproductive performance was not affected by the treatment. Uterine weight, placental weight, fetal weight, number of fetuses, sex ratio, number of implantation sites, resorptions, and corpora lutea did not differ among the groups. Visceral and skeletal examinations of the fetuses did not reveal any malformations, anomalies, or variations that could be attributed to treatment. 16 It was concluded that dietary γ-cyclodextrin was well-tolerated by pregnant rabbits, had no adverse effect on reproductive performance, and was not embryotoxic, fetotoxic, or teratogenic at dietary concentrations up to 20%. α-Cyclodextrin was also administered to groups of 16 artificially inseminated New Zealand White rabbits at dietary concentrations of 0, 5, 10, or 20%.100 An additional group received a diet containing 20% lactose. Treatment started on day 0 of gestation and ended on day 29, when the animals were killed. Except for the occurrence of transient diarrhea in one rabbit of the 20% α-cyclodextrin group for a few days, the treatment was well-tolerated. Reduced food intake in the 20% αcyclodextrin group during the first week of treatment resulted in reduced weight gain from day 0 to 12 of the study. However, when compared to controls, the difference was not significant. At study termination, body weights were similar in all groups. Even at the highest dose level, which corresponded to an intake of 5.9–7.5 g/kg body weight/day, no signs of maternal toxicity were observed. Maternal reproductive performance was not affected by treatment. Uterine weight, placental weight, fetal weight, number of fetuses, sex ratio, number of implantation sites, resorptions, and corpora lutea did not differ among the groups. Visceral and skeletal examinations of the fetuses did not reveal any malformations, anomalies, or variations that could be attributed to treatment. It was concluded that dietary α-cyclodextrin was generally well-tolerated by pregnant rabbits, had no adverse effect on maternal reproductive performance, and was not embryotoxic, fetotoxic, or teratogenic at dietary concentrations of up to 20%, the highest dose level tested. Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) Data on FOS are included for use in the safety assessment of inulin. Twelve female Wistar rats with a copulation plug were fed a diet containing 20% FOS from day 1 to 21 of gestation.33 A separate group of 17 female Wistar rats with a copulation plug was fed a control diet for the same period of time. In the first 6 h after birth, the litters were numbered, sexed, and weighed. Thirty-six hours after delivery, the newborns were equally distributed (9/mother) between the lactating mothers, which were continued on their gestational diet. No effect on the number of pregnancies was seen in the FOS group; however, a reduction in body weight gain of the pregnant rats was identified. The authors noted that this could have been due to a lower caloric value for FOS, decreased intake of food for this group, and/or diarrhea observed in the first week and softer stools in the second and third weeks of exposure. Despite the reduction in body weight gain of the pregnant rats in the FOSexposed group, the fetuses and newborn weights were not affected. However, during the nursing period, a growth delay was observed in the pups (specifically males) of the FOS-exposted group. This may be indicative of the restricted nutritional status of the lactating mothers. The study concluded that a diet containing 20% FOS had no significant effects on the course of pregnancy in rats and on the development of their fetuses and newborns. Data on FOS are included for use in the safety assessment of inulin. Twelve female Wistar rats with a copulation plug were fed a diet containing 20% FOS from day 1 to 21 of gestation.33 A separate group of 17 female Wistar rats with a copulation plug was fed a control diet over the same period. In the first 6 h after birth, the litters were numbered, sexed, and weighed. Thirty-six hours after delivery, the newborns were evenly distributed (9/mother) among the lactating mothers, which were continued on their gestational diet. No effect on the number of pregnancies was seen in the FOS group; however, a reduction in body weight gain of the pregnant rats was identified. The authors noted that this could have been due to the lower caloric value of FOS, decreased intake of food for this group, and/or diarrhea observed in the first week and softer stools in the second and third weeks of exposure. Despite the reduction in body weight gain of the pregnant rats in the FOSexposed group, the fetal and newborn weights were not affected. However, during the nursing period, a growth delay was observed in the pups (specifically males) of the FOS-exposed group. This may be indicative of the restricted nutritional status of the lactating mothers. The study concluded that a diet containing 20% FOS had no significant effects on the course of pregnancy in rats and on the development of their fetuses and newborns. Possible maternal and developmental toxicity in the rat (strain Crl CD (SD) BR) following administration of FOS during gestation was evaluated.33 Four groups of 24 to 27 pregnant females were pretreated with FOS at a dietary level of 4.75% from day 0 to 6 post coitum. A fifth group received a FOS-free diet throughout the entire study. On postcoital day 6, the FOS pretreatment diet was replaced, with each of the four treatment groups receiving one of the following diets: FOS-free diet, and 5, 10, and 20% FOS. This regimen was continued until day 15, when all pregnant females were placed on an FOSfree diet. On day 20, the rats were killed and litters were examined. Approximately half of the fetuses were dissected and examined fresh prior to skeletal staining, while the rest were fixed in Bouin’s solution. Results of the experiment revealed no treatment-related effects during pretreatment (days 0 to 6 post coitum) and treatment (days 6 to 15 post coitum) with FOS at dietary levels up to 20%. No diarrhea was observed in any of the test animals and no deaths were recorded. FOS administered during the pretreatment period did not affect body weight and body weight change in any of the groups. However, 2 days after the start of the treatment (postcoital day 8), body weight was reduced in all FOS groups relative to controls. Additionally, body weight change in the treatment groups decreased in a dose-related manner. The 5% group exhibited a lower weight gain relative to that of controls, whereas, the 10% and 20% groups lost weight. From day 11 to the 17 end of the study, body weights were similar among groups, with the exception of the 20% FOS group, the body weights of which remained below those of the controls. At necropsy, the findings in dams were unremarkable. The number of pups/litter, the sex ratio, and viability of both the embryo and the fetus were not affected by dietary supplementation with FOS. Litter and fetal weights were not reduced, while the fetal weight of the 20% group was statistically greater than that of the controls. Structural development of the fetuses was unremarkable. It was concluded that dietary supplementation with FOS, at concentrations up to 20%, did not cause adverse effects or negatively affect pregnancy outcome or in utero development of the rat. The only treatment-related effect was the alteration in body weight of the dams, with a moderate reduction seen in the 20% FOS group.33 Pectin Parental (F0) rats (Wistar (Crl:WI(WU), outbred) were fed the various test diets containing pectin-derived acidic oligosaccharides (pAOS) and control diets. Feeding was initiated at 4 weeks prior to mating and continued throughout mating, gestation, and lactation periods, until weaning of the offspring (F1). 81 To form the F0 groups, rats were allocated to four groups (16 females and 8 males per group) by computer randomization. At the start of the premating period, the parental (F0) rats were approximately 11 weeks (males) or 10 weeks (females) old. There were two control groups, one that received the standard rodent diet supplemented with 10% potato starch, and one that received 10% short-chain (sc) FOS in the diet. Two experimental groups received the standard diet supplemented with 5% or 10% pAOS. To keep the total level of added substance (test substance, reference substance and/or starch) equal in each diet, the low-dose diet (5% pAOS) was adjusted with 5% potato starch. All macro- and micronutrients in the RM3breeding diet were well in excess of the minimal requirement of the laboratory rat to allow 10% dilution of the diet, except for vitamin B12. Therefore, all experimental diets (including the control diets) were supplemented with vitamin B12 to meet the requirement (50 µg/kg diet) in the finished diet. No clinical signs attributable to pAOS were observed in the F0 females during premating and the gestation period. There were no relevant effects on body weights, growth rate or feed intake of the F0 rats during the premating, gestation, and lactation periods. Daily examination of vaginal smears of F1 females during the last three weeks of the study did not reveal any effect of pAOS on estrus cycle length and normality. Sperm analysis at the end of the study did not reveal relevant changes in epididymal sperm motility and sperm count, testicular sperm count (including daily sperm production), and sperm morphologic changes. Macroscopic examination of the F0 males and females of the test groups (5% and 10% pAOS) at necropsy did not reveal any relevant changes. In addition, no treatment-related effects on reproductive indices were observed. The general condition and macroscopy of pups were not affected by treatment, nor were litter size, pup viability or sex ratio different from controls. It was concluded that dietary pAOS did not affect parental health or pup characteristics.81 Sterculia Urens Gum (a.k.a. Karaya Gum) The oral administration of karaya gum (suspension in anhydrous corn oil) had no effects on nidation or fetal survival of implanted embryos in groups of 87 to 90 pregnant female Dutch-belted rabbits at doses up to 635 mg/kg/day for 13 consecutive days.101 The number and type of abnormalities observed in either soft or skeletal tissues of pups at term from treated dams did not differ significantly from those observed in sham-treated control dams. It was concluded that karaya gum was not teratogenic in rabbits in this study. In another study, karaya gum (suspension in anhydrous corn oil) was administered to groups of 87 to 90 pregnant female albino CD-1 outbred mice for 10 consecutive days.101 The gum was administered at doses up to 170 mg/kg body weight. Dosing had no clearly discernible effect on nidation or on maternal or fetal survival. The number of abnormalities observed in either soft or skeletal tissues of treated animals did not differ from the number occurring spontaneously in the sham-treated controls. In a concurrent group of mice dosed with 800 mg/kg body weight, a significant number of maternal deaths (9 out of 28) occurred. The surviving dams appeared completely normal and delivered normal fetuses, with no effect on the rate of nidation or survival of live pups in utero. It was concluded that karaya gum was not teratogenic in mice in this study. When groups of 87 to 89 pregnant female Wistar-derived albino rats were dosed orally with karaya gum (doses up to 900 mg/kg body weight) according to the same procedure, the results were identical to those stated for mice.101

General safety info about Astragalus Membranaceus from CIR

No report found.

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Products where you might find Astragalus Membranaceus

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