IMBIV   05474
INSTITUTO MULTIDISCIPLINARIO DE BIOLOGIA VEGETAL
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
artículos
Título:
Effects of Cecropia pachystachya Trecul and Larrea divaricata Cav. aqueous extracts in mice.
Autor/es:
BIGLIANI, M.C; GRONDONA, E; ZUNINO, M.P; PONCE, A.A
Revista:
HUMAN EXP. TOXICOL.
Editorial:
SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
Referencias:
Año: 2009
ISSN:
0960-3271
Resumen:
  Our studies were performed to investigate the effects of the aqueous extracts of Cecropia pachystachya and Larrea divericata. These plants are used in folkloric medicine in infusion and were administrated orally (0.76 g/kg) to male Albino Swiss mice for 16 days, on drink intake, organ weight/body weight (OW/BW x 100) ratio, histology, bronqueoalveolar fluid BALF and elevated plus-maze (EPM).  Feeding as well as body weight were unaffected by the consumption of these extracts. There were no signs of toxicity in BALF, morbidity or mortality during the study. C. pachystachya caused an increase in relative kidney OW/BW (p¡Ü 0.5 vs control). The macroscopic and microscopic morphologic analyses of the organs were not altered by administration of these plants. A non-anxiolytic ¨Clike activity of an aqueous extract prepared from the leaves of C. pachystachya and L. divaricata in EPM was observed. We conclude that the crude aqueous extracts of leaves tested on mice orally did not produce signs of toxicity or behavioral changes in routine histological and clinical evaluation. However, knowledge of the biological activity of many herbal medicine used in Latin American is still deficient and more studies will be needed to elucidate the possible toxic effect.