Acute and subacute toxicity and chemical constituents of the hydroethanolic extract of Verbena litoralis Kunth.

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Verbena litoralis Kunth is a native species of South America, popularly known as gervaozinho-do-campo or erva-de-pai-caetano. It is used in gastrointestinal disorders, as detoxifying the organism, antifebrile properties and amidaglitis. Aim of the study: To identify the chemical constituents of the hydroethanolic extract obtained from the aerial parts of V. litoralis and to evaluate the acute and sub-acute toxicity in male and female rats. Materials and methods: The single dose (2000 mg/kg) of the extract was administered orally to male and female rats. In the subacute study the extract was given at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg during 28 days orally. Biochemical, hematological and histological analyzes were performed, oxidative stress markers were tested and chemical constituents were identified through UHPLC-ESI-HRMS Results: Six classes of metabolites were identified: iridoids glycosides, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids-derived, phenylethanoid-derived, cinnamic acid-derived and triterpenes. In the acute treatment, the extract was classified as safe (category 5), according to the OECD guide. Our results demonstrated that subacute administration of the crude extract of V. litoralis at 400 mg/kg resulted in an increase in AST in males, whereas ALT enzyme showed a small increase in males that received 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of the extract. Conclusions: The extract of the aerial parts of Verbena litoralis did not present significant toxicity when administered a single dose. However, when different doses were administered for 28 days, were observed changes in hematological, biochemical and histological parameters in rats.