Licania rigida Benth leaf extracts: Assessment of toxicity and potential anticoagulant effect

Abstract

Abstract The present study evaluated the in vitro and in vivo potential toxicological effects, and the in vitro anticoagulant action of Licania rigida Benth crude leaf extract (CELR) and ethyl acetate fraction (AFLR). The in vitro toxicity was assessed by means of the MTT assay using mouse fibroblasts (3T3) and human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293), while the acute oral toxicity test employed Wistar rats. No apparent toxicity was observed after exposure to the extracts. Regarding the anticoagulant capacity, the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and prothrombin time (PT) tests demonstrated the extracts’ anticoagulant potential at a concentration of 50 µg/mL. However, only AFLR inhibited 100% of the thrombin IIa factor at a concentration of 100 µg/mL, which corresponds to the extrinsic coagulation pathway in comparison to heparin (control). Although both CELR and AFLR exhibited anticoagulant and non-toxic effects, further studies are required to validate their phytotherapeutic applications.