Toxicological assessment of a bioactive extract from Triplaris gardneriana Wedd. seeds using alternative models

Abstract

The Triplaris gardneriana Wedd. seeds extract has great therapeutic potential due to numerous biological activities such as antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, which are associated with phenolic content. Although this herbal preparation has shown many benefits, recently their toxicity profile has begun to be explored. In this present study, the toxic effects of T. gardneriana seeds ethanolic extract (EETg) on biological systems of different taxonomical groups and levels of complexity (from cell culture to lower vertebrates) were assessed, through a variety of viability and toxicological assays. It was found that EETg did not impair the Saccharomyces cerevisiae growth at the highest tested concentration (200 µg/mL), and no toxicant evidence was observed in Aedes aegypti larvae or in Drosophila melanogaster adult stage. Contrarily, the extract reduced the viability of undifferentiated Caco-2 cells (250 µg/mL, 40% of viable cells), but did not affect differentiated ones. The embryotoxicity in Danio rerio model showed a LC₅₀ of 7.41 mg/L (95% confidence interval, 4.78 − 11.49 mg/L). EETg did not show signs of toxicity in the majority of the models used, but lethality and malformations in zebrafish embryos occurred. Further analyses are needed to better understand the selective toxicity mechanism of EETg on zebrafish, as well as whether the toxic effects happen in higher vertebrates.

Keywords:

• Caco-2 cells
• Drosophila
• embryotoxicity
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae
• zebrafish

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)–Finance Code 001.

Author contributions

Thiago Silva de Almeida, José Joaquim Lopes Neto, Luiz Carlos Pereira Almeida Filho, Daniel Maciel Marques, Rita de Cássia Gonçalves de Lima, Ricardo Gomes dos Santos Nunes and Jailson Renato de Lima Silva, performed experiments and analyzed results. Thiago Silva de Almeida, Jean Paul Kamdem, Lécio Leone de Almeida, Juliana Alves da Costa Ribeiro Souza, Davi Felipe Farias and Ana Fontenele Urano Carvalho carried out the statistical analysis, wrote the report and designed the research.

Disclosure statement

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

Submission declaration and verification

The work described has not been previously published or submitted for publication elsewhere. The publication is approved by all authors.