title: Evaluation of Toxicity and Antimicrobial Activity of an Ethanolic Extract from Leaves of Morus alba L. (Moraceae).
abstract: This work evaluated an ethanolic extract from Morus alba leaves for toxicity to Artemia salina, oral toxicity to mice, and antimicrobial activity. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of coumarins, flavonoids, tannins, and triterpenes in the extract, which did not show toxicity to A. salina nauplii. No mortality and behavioral alterations were detected for mice treated with the extract (300 and 2000 mg/kg b.w.) for 14 days. However, animals that received the highest dose showed reduced MCV and MCHC as well as increased serum alkaline phosphatase activity. In treatments with the extract at both 300 and 2000 mg/kg, there was a reduction in number of leukocytes, with decrease in percentage of lymphocytes and increase in proportion of segmented cells. Histopathological analysis of organs from mice treated with the extract at 2000 mg/kg revealed turgidity of contorted tubules in kidneys, presence of leukocyte infiltration around the liver centrilobular vein, and high dispersion of the spleen white pulp. The extract showed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Candida krusei, Candida tropicalis, and Aspergillus flavus. In conclusion, the extract contains antimicrobial agents and was not lethal for mice when ingested; however, its use requires caution because it promoted biochemical, hematological, and histopathological alterations.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-420 Recife, PE, Brazil ; Laboratório de Farmacologia e Cancerologia Experimental, Departamento de Antibióticos, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-420 Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alisson Macário
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Farmacologia e Cancerologia Experimental, Departamento de Antibióticos, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-420 Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Matheus da Silva
authors.initials: Mda S
authors.lastname: Mesquita
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Farmacologia e Cancerologia Experimental, Departamento de Antibióticos, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-420 Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriela Cavalcante
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, 58059-900 João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Edeltrudes
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Oliveira Lima
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Histologia e Embriologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-420 Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paloma Lys
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: de Medeiros
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-420 Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patrícia Maria Guedes
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Farmacologia e Cancerologia Experimental, Departamento de Antibióticos, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-420 Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ivone Antônia
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-420 Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thiago Henrique
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Napoleão