EVALUATION OF ACUTE TOXICITY PROPERTIES OF YARROW AND COMMON OAK PLANT EXTRACTS

Аннотация

Nowadays, preparations made from medicinal plant raw materials are being studied with great interest by the global community compared tosynthetic biologically active substances. Duetothe sideeffects ofsynthetic drugs considered suitablefor treating chronic diseases, people around the world prefer plant-based preparations. Traditional medicinal plants can provide new compounds that counter the high cost and toxicity of available drugs, especially for rural populationsindeveloping countries [1]. This article presents data on the acute toxicity properties of an extract sample obtained from Achillea millefolium (yarrow) and Quercus robur (common oak), studied at the Pharmacology and Screening Laboratory of the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences ofUzbekistan. Keywords: Acute toxicity, plant extract, white laboratory mice, LD₅₀, toxicity class, evaluation indicators. Introduction: In today’s era of medical advancements, the demand for medicines derived from natural plant raw materials is increasing. This is because synthetic drugs clearly show adverse effects. Under the initiative of our President, great importance is being given to expanding the production of local pharmaceuticals using regional plants. According to item 31 of Appendix 1 of the Presidential Decree No. PQ-4670, dated April 10, 2020, "On measures for the conservation, cultivation, processing and rational use of wild-growing medicinal plants", 50 plantsare listed, including "yarrow". Our research focuses on analyzing the alcoholic extract obtained from a mixture of yarrow and oakplants and collecting data onits toxicityfor potentialuse in medicine[2]. Description of Plants and Composition: Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) – A perennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family, growing up to 20–80 cm tall. It has a branched rhizome and erect stems ending in corymb-like inflorescences. The leaves are sessile, double- pinnately divided. The flowers are in heads that collectively form a corymb. It blooms from June tolate summerand fruits from August. Chemical composition: Contains carotene, vitamins K and C, alkaloids like achilleine and betonicine, up to 0.8% essential oil, matricarin isomers, millefin lactone, 0.31% choline, asparagine, resins, tannins, and bitter substances like prochamazulene (achillin). According to the XI Pharmacopoeia, the essential oil content must be at least 0.1%. The oil contains up to 4% chamazulene, thujone, camphor, borneol, caryophyllene, upto 10%cineole, and various acids. https://ijmri.de/index.php/jmsi volume 4,issue5,2025 695 Uses: Used for gastrointestinal diseases, to stimulate appetite, and as a hemostatic for internal bleeding and external wounds (nose, gums, injuries). Common Oak (Quercus robur) – A tree species of the Fagaceae family, found widely in Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, the Baltics, and Russia, and cultivated in Uzbekistan. Grows up to 40–50 meters tall. Chemical composition: Contains 7–20% tannins (including up to 4% in old bark), mainly from the pyrogallol group, 1.6% gallic and ellagic acids, flavonoids (quercetin), flobaphene, pentoses, andpectic acids. According to theXI Pharmacopoeia, tannin content must beat least 8%. Uses: Preparations from oak bark are used as astringent and antiseptic agents for oral cavity diseases (gingivitis,stomatitis), sorethroat, and fortreating burns with 20%decoctions. Objective of the Study: To evaluate the acute toxicity effect of an extract obtained from yarrow andoak plants. Materials andMethods: The acute oral toxicity was assessed using the fixed dose method recommended by the OECD (2001), Test No. 420 (Acute Oral Toxicity - Fixed Dose Procedure, OECD Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals, Section 4, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264070943-enra). The plant extract was administered orally to animals at a fixed dose of 5000 mg/kg. Experiments were conducted on male, non-breed white laboratory mice with an average body weight of 22±2.0 g. Each group included 5 mice, with a total of 10 animals. Animals were healthy, sexuallymature, and quarantined for10–14days priortotesting. Experimental Procedure: The experiment was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, two mice were administered the plant extract at a dose of 5000 mg/kg in 0.5 ml volume via gastric intubation. No mortality was observed during the 2–3 days of observation. In the second stage, the remaining 3 mice of the group received the same dose. A control group received the same volumeof distilled water. During the first day of both stages, hourly monitoring was carried out for general condition, tremors, and signs of death. For up to two weeks, daily monitoring included assessment of overall health, activity, skin and fur condition, respiration rate and depth, urination, body weight changes, and otherparameters. The animals were kept under standard conditions with free access to food and water. At the end of the study, the extract’s median lethal dos