Evaluation of the acute and subacute toxicity of the hydroalcoholic extract of Leucas martinicensis in rats

Introduction: The leaves of Leucas martinicensis are used in Burkina Faso to treat many diseases such as fever, bronchitis, insomnia and malaria. But there is a lack of toxicity documentation to inform the users. Therefore, the absence these crucial information’s can cause serious public health problems.Materials and Methods: To fill this gap, we investigated on acute and subacute toxicity study of the hydroalcoholic extract of L. martinicensis following the OECD method. For acute toxicity, the limit dose of 5000 mg/kg body weight was administered. In the subacute toxicity study, four groups of rats were formed, including a control group that received distilled water for 28 days and three other groups that received doses of the hydroalcoholic extract of L. martinicensis of 100, 400, and 700 mg/kg, respectively, for the same period.Results: The LD50 was determined and hematological and biochemical parameters were analyzed. The LD50 was greater than 5000 mg/kg, and there were no significant changes in the rats body weight or the relative weight of their organs (heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen). Urea was the only biochemical parameter that showed a significant increase.Conclusion: The hematological analysis did not show any significant variation. The hydroalcoholic extract of L. martinicensis is practically non-toxic. However, at high doses, the extract has a moderate toxic effect characterized by an increase in uremia.