Phytochemical Profile and Evaluation of Acute Toxicity of the Crude Extract from Acanthospermum hispidum Roots

Abstract

Acanthospermum hispidum DC (Asteraceae), popularly known as "espinho-de-cigano", is a plant species used in folk medicine to treat gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders. These activities can be related to the presence of secondary metabolites, which can also play toxicity. Considering that, the objective of this work was to evaluate the toxicity of the crude extract from roots of A. hispidum. The herbal material was collected, ground, and the crude extract was obtained with acetone: water (7:3, v/v) at 10% (w/v) by turbo extraction. Phytochemical analysis by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was performed, and the results were used to obtain the HPLC fingerprint. A single oral dose (2,000 mg/kg) was administered daily over 14 consecutive days to mice. Bodyweight, food and water intake, blood biochemical, and hematological parameters were measured. The results obtained in the TLC analysis suggested the presence of cinnamic derivatives, flavonoids, and terpenes and were confirmed by HPLC analysis. Additionally, the total polyphenol content was 10.1% ± 0.0093%, expressed as pyrogallol. According to the acute toxicity study, the data demonstrated the low toxicity of the crude extract of A. hispidum roots, considered very low acute toxicity or non-toxic, proved safe when administered orally.