title: Toxicological evaluation of Pterocaulon polystachyum extract: a medicinal plant with antifungal activity.
abstract: Pterocaulon polystachyum DC is a native species to southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and northeastern Argentina. It is utilized to treat animal problems popularly diagnosed as "mycoses". The antifungal and amebicidal activity of its hexane extract has been previously reported, although there are no studies confirming the safety of this plant for therapeutic purposes to date. Hence, this study investigates the toxic effects of a hexane extract of Pterocaulon polystachyum administered as acute and subacute oral treatments. After acute treatment the extract caused alterations in biochemical parameters, morphological alterations in tissues and was genotoxic, according to the comet assay; neither mortality nor visible signs of lethality were seen in mice. Similarly subacute treatment caused important differences in biochemical parameters and tissues, between control and treated groups. The results also revealed genotoxicity in kidney tissue, though no mutagenicity was detected by the micronucleus test. No animal died during the treatment period.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Farmacologia e Toxicologia, ULBRA, Canoas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriela Gregory
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Regner
authors.forename: Janaína
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gianesini
authors.forename: Rafael Gomes
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Von Borowski
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Silveira
authors.forename: Juliane Garcia
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Semedo
authors.forename: Alexandre de Barros Falcão
authors.initials: Ade B
authors.lastname: Ferraz
authors.forename: Elenir
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wiilland
authors.forename: Gilsane
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Von Poser
authors.forename: Mariângela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allgayer
authors.forename: Jaqueline Nascimento
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Picada
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D019659:Asteraceae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D020552:Comet Assay; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000633:toxicity; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts