Mikania glomerata Sprengel is a plant from the Asteraceae family and it is widely used in folk medicine because of its bronchodilating, anti-asthmatic, expectorant and antitussive effects. The purpose of this study was to determine the physicochemical properties of the powder obtained from the leaves of M. glomerata, and to evaluate the toxicity in mice after an acute treatment with repeated doses of standardized 70% ethanol extract prepared from the leaves during 30 consecutive days. To study the physicochemical properties of the powder, we conducted a determination of the bulk density and compaction, the total ash content, the moisture content and particle size. According to the results obtained, we suggest that the powder can be used to formulate a solid dosage form, since its physicochemical properties matches the development of this type of formulation. In the second part of the study, it was determined a lethal dose in the order of 50% (LD50), along with a gross morphological analysis and the evaluation of the acute toxicity with repeated doses, in the terms of biochemical and hematological parameters of mice. According to the results from the second phase, we suggest that the 70% ethanol extract can be used safely in humans, since it presented a value for the LD50 (~ 3000 mg kg-1) that can be classified as 'harmful'. It also did not produce any morphological changes in the major organs and in the biochemical and hematological parameters of mice.
Mikania glomerata; Asteraceae; Acute toxicity; Mice
