title: Teratogenic Effect of Verbascoside, Main Constituent of Lippia citriodora Leaves, in Mice.
abstract: Verbascoside (acteoside), a phenyl propanoid glycoside, comprises 0.5 to 3.5 % dry weight of Lippia citriodora leaves. A wide range of biological activities are attributed to verbascoside including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-tumor, anti-fungal, photoprotective as well as chelating effects. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of verbascoside on pregnancy outcome in mice. Timed-pregnant mice received doses of 1g/kg/day verbascoside or the vehicle control during organogenesis, intraperitoneally. Maternal body weights were measured throughout pregnancy. The litters were examined for external malformations and skeletal abnormalities. Then they were stained with Alizarin red S and Alcian blue. Maternal exposure to verbascoside throughout pregnancy did not influence the mean of maternal weight gain. Statistically significant difference was not found in mean number of implantation sites, live and resorbed fetuses between control and experiment groups. Our data demonstrate that the main component of L. citriodora, verbascoside using during organogenesis possesses no risk to fetuses. However, more research projects are needed to confirm these findings and determine the exact effects of verbascoside on human embryo development.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Etemad
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pharmacodynamics and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy , Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zafari
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Research Center; Medical Toxicology Research Center; Department of Pharmacodynamics and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy; Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Adel
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Moallem
authors.affiliation: Medical Toxicology Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Naser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vahdati-Mashhadian
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Research Center; Medical Toxicology Research Center; Department of Pharmacodynamics and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy; Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Skouei Shirvan
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Pharmacodynamics and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hosseinzadeh
keywords: Aloysia triphylla; Herbal medicine; Lippia citriodora; Teratogen; Verbascoside