• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.310-316
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• 2022

Background: Verbenalin is an iridoid glucoside, which is among the active components of some medicinal herbs such as Verbena officinalis Linn, and Cornus officinalis Siebold and Zucc. Previous studies have confirmed the antioxidant activity and neuroprotective potential of verbenalin. To confirm the safety of verbenalin, an approximate lethal dose was determined based on a single oral dose toxicity study. Methods: Institute of Cancer Research mice were randomly assigned to three verbenalin exposure groups (250, 500, and 1,000 mg/kg) and a control group (5% methylcellulose solution). There were (5 male and 5 female mice per group). Mortality, clinical signs, and body weight were monitored for 14 days, and necropsies were conducted. Results: No mortalities were observed in the control group or the verbenalin 250 mg/kg group, whereas mortalities were observed in the 500 mg/kg and 1,000 mg/kg verbenalin groups. During the observation period, stool abnormalities such as mucous stools were observed. Clinical signs such as loss of locomotor activity were observed in the 500 mg/kg and 1,000 mg/kg verbenalin groups. During the study period, significant changes in body weight were observed in the 500 mg/kg and 1,000 mg/kg verbenalin groups; however, no gross abnormalities were observed at necropsy. Overall, no toxicity was found in the 250 mg/kg group. Conclusion: The approximate lethal dose of verbenalin was estimated to be 500 mg/kg. For a more accurate assessment of the safety of verbenalin, other types of studies such as repeated-dose toxicity studies should also be conducted.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.364-368
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• 2022

Objectives: Verbenalin is a compound found in herbs such as Cornus officinalis and Verbena officinalis. This study investigated whether verbenalin is safe by analyzing its mutagenicity. Methods: To examine the mutagenic potential of verbenalin, a bacterial reverse mutation test (Ames test) was conducted with Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli strains. Experiments with and without metabolic activity were performed. Results: The mean colony number was less than double that of the control. Growth inhibition and precipitation of verbenalin were not apparent in all strains at different concentrations regardless of metabolic activity. Conclusion: Verbenalin did not show any signs of mutagenicity in this study. Additional toxicity studies including repeated oral toxicity, reproductive toxicity, and carcinogenicity tests are needed.