title: Acute Toxicity and Cytotoxicity of Pereskia aculeata, a Highly Nutritious Cactaceae Plant.
abstract: Pereskia aculeata is a Cactaceae plant with valuable nutritional properties, including terrific amounts of protein, minerals, vitamins, and fiber. However, P. aculeata is reported to contain antinutrients and alkaloids in its leaves. In addition, in a study on growth and development, Wistar rats fed with P. aculeata and casein as protein source grew less than the control group (fed with casein only). Therefore, in this study, we evaluated, for the first time, the oral acute toxicity of P. aculeata in rats and also the cytotoxicity behavior of the plant on lettuce seeds. The acute toxicity research was carried out using dried P. aculeata ethanolic extract, in three different doses, administered by gavage to 24 female Wistar rats. The rats were then examined for signs of toxicity, food intake, body weight, and fecal excretion fluctuations, as well as histopathological alterations, using eight different body tissues. The acute toxicity study did not show any difference among the groups in either clinical evaluation or histopathological analyses. For the cytotoxicity study, dried P. aculeata ethanolic extract was applied on lettuce seeds in five different concentrations. These seeds were evaluated for germination, root and shoot length, and mitotic index. The results show that P. aculeata extract affects lettuce root and shoot growth, but not germination or mitotic index. In conclusion, the acute toxicity on rats and the cytogenotoxicity on lettuce of P. aculeata are neglectable, validating the potential of this plant to be used as a functional food.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Food Science and Technology, Federal University of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil .
authors.forename: Debora O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Food Science and Technology, Federal University of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil .
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seifert
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Food Science and Technology, Federal University of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil .
authors.forename: Fabiana R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Nora
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Zoology and Genetics, Federal University of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil .
authors.forename: Vera L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Bobrowski
authors.affiliation: 3 Science Center of Chemistry, Pharmacology and Food, Federal University of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil .
authors.forename: Rogerio A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Freitag
authors.affiliation: 4 Departments of Nutrition and Environmental Toxicology, University of California Davis , Davis, California, USA.
authors.forename: Heidi R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kucera
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Food Science and Technology, Federal University of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil .
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nora
authors.affiliation: 4 Departments of Nutrition and Environmental Toxicology, University of California Davis , Davis, California, USA.
authors.forename: Nilesh W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Gaikwad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029421:Cactaceae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects; D018545:Lactuca / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012639:Seeds / Q000187:drug effects; D023382:Toxicity Tests, Acute
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: cytotoxicity; herbal extract; rats; vegetables