Evaluation of the acute toxicity and antioxidant activity of Justicia secunda methanolic extract in a murine sepsis model

Abstract

Sepsis is a clinical condition that involves a dysregulated immune response to an infection, leading to complications such as organ dysfunction. The condition begins with hyperinflammation, followed by an increase in oxidative stress and depletion of antioxidant defenses. The rates of sepsis and septic shock have increased markedly in the last couple of decades. Therefore, the search for new therapies to aid in sepsis treatment is important. Justicia secunda Vahl is a widely used specie in traditional medicine. It has anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antioxidant, antianemic, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial properties due to secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, polyphenols, alkaloids, and terpenes. We evaluated a J. secunda methanolic extract (JSLS) in an acute oral toxicity test and as a pretreatment in a murine cecal ligation and perforation (CLP) sepsis model. In the acute oral toxicity test, we evaluated clinical parameters for 14 days after a single dose of 2000 mg JSLS/kg body weight, as well as oxidative stress parameter in organ samples. Subsequently, we evaluated the survival and antioxidant parameters of septic mice pretreated with 400 mg JSLS/kg body weight. In the acute oral toxicity test, there were no signs of toxicity, suggesting that JSLS has a median lethal dose greater than 2000 mg/kg body weight. JSLS pretreatment improved the survival rate, clinical parameters, antioxidant levels, and hematological profile of septic mice. We conclude that JSLS could be applied as a coadjutant agent to manage oxidative stress-related diseases. Additional studies are needed to better elucidate the mechanisms, as well as the effective dose of the chemical compounds present in JSLS.