LIBIDIBIA FERREA (MART. EX TUL.) L.P. QUEIROZ: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF ITS TOXICITY

Abstract

Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex Tul.) L.P. Queiroz is a tree species native to Brazil that presents several biological activities described in the scientific literature. Its pharmacological effects are associated with the presence of bioactive secondary metabolites, attracting interest for the development of herbal medicines and new therapeutic products. However, due to the increasing use of this species in traditional medicine and pharmacological research, the evaluation of its potential toxic effects through toxicological studies becomes necessary. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze scientific research related to the toxicity of Libidibia ferrea. This study consists of a systematic literature review without restriction regarding publication period. The descriptors used were “Libidibia ferrea”, “Caesalpinia ferrea”, and “Toxicity”, as well as their English equivalents and combinations using the Boolean operator “AND”. The databases consulted were PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), and the CAPES Journal Portal. The results demonstrated that Libidibia ferrea/Caesalpinia ferrea extracts, when administered at appropriate doses, present low toxicity, with evidence of toxicity mainly during the gestational period.