The common use of Pouteria mammosa (L.) Cronquist, “Mamey or Zapote,” in food and ethnobotanic medicine shows its low or absent toxicity as fruit extracts prepared from seeds. However, it is essential to conduct security trials to scientifically support their use in drug therapy. This study evaluated the aqueous and hydroalcoholic extract (25%) Acute Oral Toxicity, obtained from the seeds of P. mammosa, in Sprague Dawley rats and dermal and eye irritability in New Zealand rabbits. The 404 and 405 acute dermal and eye irritation/corrosion guidelines were used, as well as the 423 Acute Oral Toxicity guideline, Acute Toxic Class Method of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The aqueous extract was located in the following category: not classified as toxic (CTA 5), while hydroalcoholic extract at 25% was classified as dangerous (CTA 4). Both extracts can be used without side reaction that irritates the skin which permitted classification as potentially not irritant. P. mammosa in the two extracts caused mild and reversible eye irritation, and it was classified as slightly irritating.
Ocimum sanctum L. var. cubensis (OS) is a valuable medicinal plant. Some varieties have been reported and some of
them remain almost unstudied. The aim of this study is therefore to evaluate the chemical composition and the in vitro/in
vivo toxicity of the leaves essential oil from O. sanctum, up growing wild in the Eastern region of Cuba. The essential oil
was extracted by in a Clevenger type apparatus and characterized by its chemical components helped by a Gas
Chromatograph coupled to a Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS). For the evaluation of cytotoxicity, primary cultures of
embryonic cardiac cells (ECC) were obtained from Swiss mice and purified, uninfected ECC cultures were exposed to
compound studied at 37 ºC for 24, 48 and 72 h (up to 1200µg/mL). The cell death rates were measured by the PrestoBlue
colorimetric assay. For the studies of Oral Acute Toxicity and Dermal Acute Toxicity, Sprague Dawley rats were used as
biological models, fulfilling the guides 423 and 402 of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and
the Research Ethical Committee. The essential oil from the leaves of O. sanctum L. var. cubensis up growing wild in the
eastern region of Cuba presented 20 compounds defined as the major components: Eugenol (21.96%), β-caryophyllene
(20.79%) and Bicyclogermacrene (20.38%). At the maximum concentration the OS essential oil barely provokes the 5%
of cell death, meaning that this substance does not result toxic for ECC at the concentration evaluated. In vivo studies
also classified OS essential oil as not toxic do not showing any acute or oral toxicity (dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight).
The obtained result indicates that the oil can be considered safe; harmless topically and orally showed no in vitro and in
vivo toxicity studies.
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