Effect of Ambrosia tenuifolia Spreng on Danio rerio Embryo and Human Cells In Vitro

Abstract

Ambrosia tenuifolia is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family, commonly used in Paraguay for multiple purposes as an abortive, antipyretic, digestive, and against headaches commonly in the form of an infusion of aerial parts. However, the lack of information on adverse effects raises questions about its safety and potential side effects. This study was undertaken to establish the potential health risks of A. tenuifolia for human health by evaluation of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts on Danio rerio embryos and to determine the potential toxicity or teratogenicity of the aqueous extract on human cells using human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). For the test with D. rerio, observations were made 24 to 96 hours after fertilization. Coagulation, somite formation, heart rate, blood flow, pigmentation, edema formation, hatching, and spinal deviation were evaluated. As a result, the extract has lethal, sublethal, and teratogenic effects on the embryonic development of D. rerio, whose effects were dose-dependent. In the PBL, cells with and without bioactivation with the solution containing the S9 fraction were found to have genotoxic effects. This study provides the first report of toxicity and genotoxic effects of extracts of A. tenuifolia using D. rerio embryos and PBL after in vitro exposure.