Acute toxicity and irritancy of the essential oil of the leaves of vitex simplicifolia oliv. (Verbenaceae) in Burkina Faso

The main goal of this study was to determine the acute toxicity and irritancy of the leaf of essential oil of Vitex simplicifolia Oliv. (Verbenaceae) growing in Burkina Faso and whose therapeutic use is multiple. The acute toxicity of the essential oil was determined by Litchfield method. Skin and eye irritancy was performed by Draize method. The acute toxicity of essential oil was evaluated to give a LD50 = 2830.77±299.22 mg kg-1 and showed that the essential oil of Vitex simplicifolia is slightly toxic. Skin and eye irritation was evaluated and showed that essential oil of this plant is slightly irritating with a primary irritation index PI = TEO/16 = 0.75, an Acute Ocular Index, Ac.O.I. =12.83, an Average Ocular Index, Av.O.I. of less than 5 after 48 h. The results suggest that the leaf essential oil of Vitex simplicifolia Oliv. possessed slightly toxic and slightly irritancy activities. It could be used as natural potential ingredient for pharmaceutical industry. © 2014 Academic Journals Inc.