Estudo da toxidade não clínica do extrato hidroetanólico das cascas do caule de Endopleura uchi (Huber) Cuatrec

Abstract

Brazil is considered the top one in mega diversity, for presenting a variety of ecosystems, where Amazon forest is its icon, the largest humid tropical forest of the planet, however, one of the great challenges today is to plan the rational and sustainable use of the Amazon, assuring its social and economical development to the conservation of this biodiversity. Since the most ancient civilizations, plants are used as Phytoterapic, however, along the time it has been observed that certain plants presented substances potentially dangerous and, for this reason, they should be used carefully, respecting their toxicological risks. For most of the medicinal plants there are no data on the safety of its use during the pregnancy. Endopleura uchi is a type from the terra firme forest. The tea of the stem is used in the folk medicine for the arthritis treatment, rheumatism, cholesterol, diabetes and uterine inflammations. In spite of some data of the literature demonstrate its effectiveness for several biological activities; the accomplished toxicological studies do not sustain the safety of its use so far. In this sense, the present study had as objective to evaluate the possible non-clinic toxicity hydroethanolic extract of the peels of the stem of E. uchi (EHEEu) with a dose of 500 mg/kg, after a long treatment period (subchronic toxicity), as well as after the exhibition during the pre-implantation periods, organogenesis and fetal in female Wistar rats (reproductive toxicology). The results showed that in the sub-chronic toxicity, EHEEu (500 mg/kg) did not change the biochemical, hematological, weighted development parameters and water intake and the animals´ food. In the pre-implantation period, EHEEu did not interfere negatively neither in the reproductive maternal parameters and counting of the ossification points, nor it caused maternal toxicity, embriofetuxicity and teratogenicity in the offspring. For the organogenesis period, it did not also produce toxicity in the progenitors, it did not change the counting of the ossification points, as well it did not cause embryofoetotoxicity and teratogenicity in the offspring, and however, it rose significantly the number of losses post-implant. In the period of fetal development it did not cause toxicity in the progenitors, it did not change the maternal reproductive parameters, it did not affect the weighted development, the descendants' general characteristics and the motor activity, (open field), however, the female descendants' sexual characteristics were affected significantly. Consequently, the results show that in the samples of subchronic toxicity EHEEu presented safety in the dose and in the period that the animals were exposed. In the samples of reproductive toxicity, EHEEu also showed safety in the period of pre-implantation of the blastocyst in the uterus, in the organogenesis period in spite of changing the losses post-implant; it did not change any of the other analyzed parameters significantly. In the period of fetal development, safety has been shown; change only the sexual characteristics of the female. In this sense, it is recommended the continuation of studies related to the safety of E. uchi, using other dosages and other animal species