Pharmacognosy, Medicinal Plants and Natural Products

The safety of Verbena officinalis as a traditional herb remedy, in pregnancy and potential effects on foetal morphogenesis, embryo-toxicity and skeletal variations in pups of SD rats, has not yet been tested. This study carried out to

evaluate the potential effects of Verbena officinalis aqueous extract on pregnancy outcome in SD dams. Timed-pregnant of dams from sixth to the 20th day of gestation into five groups (n=10) SD dams received oral single daily of different doses of 3000, 2000, 1000, and 500 mg/kg/day V. officinalis aqueous crude extract of the (vehicle) control during organogenesis. The foetuses were inspected for external morphology and skeletal anomalies. Pups were stained with Alcian blue and Alizarin red. In the present study, the result demonstrated that Verbena officinalis cause embryo-toxicity abnormalities were observed difference with dams rats treated with 3000 and 2000 mg/kg as evidenced by the increased incidence in the post-implantation loss and low measure in the tail length, head cranium, and fetal weight. The total external foetal morphogenesis (stunted growth, micrognathia, subcutaneous hemorrhages and umbilical hernia) abnormalities were differences between all treated groups and control group, however, the higher incidence occurred at 3000 mg (36.2%), whereas some abnormalities of the skeleton such as incomplete ossification of skull and sternebrae, unossified metatarsal bones were observed in foetuses treated with V2000 (19.3%) and V3000 (42.9%) groups. The results of this prenatal study show that consumption of Verbena officinalis boiling tea appears to be unsafe to be used during pregnancy and high does have developmental toxicity on embryos.