Evaluation Of Acute And Chronic Cytotoxicity Of The Hydroethanolic Extract Of Heteropterys Tomentosa A Juss In Rodents

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PURPOSE: Medicinal plants are widely used by traditional Brazilian communities for several purposes, including the performance improvement. There is a lack of studies that evaluate the pharmacological profile of Heteropterys tomentosa A. Juss., an aphrodisiac and stimulant Brazilian plant. This study evaluated the acute and chronic toxicity of its extract (HEHt). METHODS: On the first stage, 54 young male mice and 54 young female mice were submitted to acute toxicity evaluation (6/group) and received a single dose of HEHt: vehicle; 400mg/Kg; 1000mg/Kg; 2000 mg/Kg. From that moment, the animals were criteriously observed. On the second stage, 24 female Wistar rats (6/group for each dose of HEHt: Vehicle, 50mg/Kg, 200mg/Kg or 1000mg/Kg) were subjected to the chronic toxicity test. After 30 days, the determination of serum uric acid, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-GT, Total cholesterol, triglycerides, albumin, total proteins, ALT, AST, urea, creatinine, globulin and glucose was performed. On the third stage, HEHt was subjected to in vitro cytotoxicity test on toxicity specific cells (CHO-k1) which received culture media (growth control) or HEHt. RESULTS: First stage: we noted that animals treated with vehicle or 400mg/Kg suffered no alterations, whereas the doses of 100mg/kg and 200mg/kg caused an increase in urination and evacuation, mainly within the first two hours, with subsequent normalization. At these same dosages, we observed increased corneal and joint reflex within the first hour, lasting for four hours in both sexes. There were no deaths in any doses. Second stage: there was alteration only in AST, being lower in the animals which received HEHt 1000mg/kg; there were no deaths in any of the tested doses. Third stage: the test showed no alteration of CHO-k1 cell viability by HEHt 24 and 72h after the treatments. CONCLUSIONS: HEHt did not present acute or chronic toxicity as well as being non-cytotoxic on in vitro analysis. Furthermore, we suggest that the 1000mg/kg dose promoted hepatoprotection, which does not exclude the need of more specific studies to confirm this hypothesis. Thus, the intended fourth stage (physical performance; swimming exercise) can be performed, futurely, with no eminent risks to the animal’s health, which will allow us to verify their possible stimulating properties.