Repeated dose 90-day oral toxicity study of Vitex megapotamica (Spreng.) Moldenke

Abstract

Vitex megapotamica (Spreng.) Moldenke is a plant with medicinal properties popularly used in Brazil to treat diabetes and obesity. Despite the promising use of this plant, are still incipient toxicology studies on prolonged periods of treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the repeated dose 90-day oral toxicity study of V. megapotamica methanolic extract (VMME) in male and female Wistar rats. Different groups of rats (n = 8) were treated daily with three different doses of VMME (100, 300, and 900 mg/kg) or vehicle (filtered water). Body weight, water, and feed consumption, and clinical and behavioral changes were monitored daily. At the end of the experimental period, blood samples were obtained for hematological and biochemical analyzes. After euthanasia, the vital organs were removed for the determination of relative weight and for histopathological analysis. No clinical signs of toxicity or mortality were found during the experimental period. Treatment with VMME did not induce any change in body weight gain, eating patterns, and behavior. We found no statistically significant changes in the different hematological and biochemical parameters evaluated. The relative weight of the organs and histopathological analysis did not show any significant change when compared to animals treated with the vehicle. The data obtained in this study allow us to conclude that the VMME obtained from V. megapotamica is safe after a repeated-dose 90-day oral toxicity study in male and female Wistar rats.

Keywords:

• 90-Day study
• medicinal plants
• methanolic extracts
• safety
• Vitex megapotamica

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors acknowledge Paranaense University – UNIPAR for the financial support and the Fundação Araucária and PROSUP/CAPES by supporting research. Arquimedes Gasparotto Junior, Emerson Luiz Lorenço Botelho, and Odair Alberton acknowledge a research fellowship from the CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development).