Teratogen Potential Evaluation of the Aqueous and Hydroalcoholic Leaf Extracts of in Pregnancy Rats.

is used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the transplacental genotoxicity effect of aqueous (AE) and hydroalcoholic extract (HE) of leaves in a rat model and the quantification of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the liver. Three different doses of the AE and HE of the leaf were administered orally (500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg) to Wistar rats during 5 days through the pregnancy term (16-21 days), and sampling in rats occurred every 24 h during the last 6 days of gestation, while only one sample was taken in neonates at birth. A sample of the mother's and the neonate's liver was taken for the determination of MDA. The results show that, at the hepatic level, the evaluated doses of extracts in pregnant rats and their pups did not show cytotoxicity. However, the AE and HE generated cytotoxic and genotoxic damage in the short term. On the other hand, only the AE showed a teratogenic effect. Based on these results, the AE and HE of the leaf should not be administered during pregnancy.