Acute toxicity assessment of Polyalthia Suberosa leaves

Abstract

Medicinal plants have been essential to human health care for millennia and remain a significant source of novel medicines. A significant segment of the population in several developing nations depends on plant-based traditional medicine for basic health care. This study sought to assess the oral acute toxicity of the leaf extract from Polyalthia suberosa in experimental mice to ascertain its safety profile. This study was conducted to observe if the leaves have any potential toxicity in oral administration according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 423). Here mice received a single oral administration of the methanolic extract at a dosage of 2000 mg/kg body weight. The animals were monitored for 14 days for neurological and physiological changes and mortality. No fatalities or notable signs of toxicity were observed, indicating that the extract has a substantial safety margin. Our finding shows that the lethal dose (LD₅₀) of P. suberosa extract is under 2000 mg/kg; hence, it could be safe for the novel therapeutic drugs.