Vol. 10, Issue 12, Part E (2025)

Author(s): M Akshay Durga Prasad, MR Srinivasan, P Jalantha, R Yogeswari and S Ramesh

Abstract: Homeopathy is a system of alternative medicine conceived in 1796. Despite all the apprehensions attached to it, it is the second largest system of medicine according to the World Health Organisation. Manufacturing of homeopathic medicines require raw materials in the form of different plants, chemicals of animal origin and bacteria, microorganisms and certain disease-causing factors. Agnus castus, commonly known as the chaste tree, and Pulsatilla nigricans are plants whose parts are used for PCOS, premenstrual syndrome and other conditions. Due to their widespread usage in women of childbearing age, it is important to investigate the possible toxicity and safety level of mother tinctures of both A. castus and P. nigricans. In this study, zebrafish embryos were used to evaluate the embryo toxicity of mother tinctures of the above-mentioned drugs, since they are well established models used to assess the toxicity of compounds. The embryos were exposed to different concentrations (1, 0.1, 0.01, 0.001%) of the respective mother tinctures. Different parameters like coagulation, somite formation, tail detachment and morphological malformations were recorded till 96 hours of post fertilisation. Results showed that exposure to the mother tincture of A. castus did not cause embryonic mortality at all the concentrations used in the study, whereas the mother tincture of P. nigricans and the combinations of both the mother tinctures caused mortality at a concentration of 1%, while the other concentrations did not cause embryonic mortality. The concentration at which the toxic effects were observed is much higher than the concentrations used in therapy. Further developmental toxicity studies need to be carried out to validate the use of homeopathic drugs since the availability of toxicity study data is meagre.

DOI: 10.22271/veterinary.2025.v10.i12e.2837