PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION, MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY CONTROL AND TOXICITY EVALUATION OF THE HIDROETHANOLIC EXTRACT FROM CHENOPODIUM AMBROSIOIDES LINN

Chenopodium ambrosioides Linn, member of the National List of Medicinal Plants of Interest to SUS (RENISUS), is used to treat different diseases and shows good potential to generate products of interest to the Brazilian Unified Health System “Sistema Único de Saúde” (SUS). However, the use of herbal derivatives implies the control of their quality and the evaluation of their toxicity. Pharmacopeial tests were performed aiming at the physicochemical and microbiological characterization of leaves and extract of C. ambrosioides. The toxicity of the extract was assessed using MTT (3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) and acute toxicity was assayed in mice. The results showed that the leaves and the extract presented acceptable pharmacopeial parameters and the preliminary phytochemical analysis showed the presence mainly of saponins, terpenes, phenols and tannins in the hydroethanolic extract of C. ambrosioides. The microbiological evaluation of the extract indicated no apparent growth of pathogenic microorganisms. Although the extract showed cytotoxicity at high concentration, no signs of acute oral toxicity could be observed at the tested doses. These results, besides the partial Pharmacopeial characterization of C. ambrosioides, corroborate the literature data, regarding the cytotoxic potential. However, the results reported indicate that the use of this species is safe in appropriate doses