Context: Mimosa pudica L., belonging to the Fabaceae family, has been widely used in natural and traditional medicine because of its proven pharmacological properties. The present study examines through a preclinical toxicity assay, the safety of leaves and stems decoction of this plant used in popular medicine. Aims: To evaluate the oral toxicity at repeated doses of the M. pudica aerial parts. Methods: The toxicity assay was carried out using the limit test method by the administration of M. pudica decoction at repeated doses (1000 mg/kg of weight) for 28 days, to NMRI mice of both sexes. The body weight and clinical signs were assessed throughout the experimental period; and hematological and biochemical parameters, as well as, histopathological analysis of the main organs were evaluated at the end of the study. Results: The body weight of the animals treated with the plant decoction showed a significant decrease with respect to controls (p<0.05). The hematological parameters did not show alterations, while the biochemical markers exhibited a decrease in plasma proteins and an increase in glucose and the alanine aminotransferase enzyme activity. The histopathological study showed slight alterations in the brain, liver, lung, heart, thymus, and kidneys of experimental mice. Conclusions: The biochemical and histopathological results suggest that the decoction of M. pudica, administered orally at repeated doses, caused slight alterations that warn about the risks of its traditional use.

In the eastern region of Cuba, there is a traditional use of medicinal plants for various pharmacological purposes, although an inventory of these plant species necessary for the future search for new phytomedicines does not exist in all cases. This is the case for those used to treat central nervous system (CNS) disorders. To evaluate the traditional knowledge in two regions of Eastern Cuba: Santiago de Cuba and Holguín, regarding the use of medicinal plants with sedative, hypnotic, and anxiolytic effects, an ethnopharmacological study was conducted in two health areas of the main municipalities of these two provinces. A total of 400 people were surveyed, performing the socio-demographic characterization of the evaluated population as well as the qualitative characterization and evaluation of quantitative ethnopharmacological indicators such as the use value index and the significant use level of the medicinal plants used. The surveyed population in both provinces was predominantly female and over 60 years old, with a high level of preparation and professional training. A total of 27 plants were reported in the interviews conducted among the 1637 citations obtained, with similar results between the two provinces. The highest number of citations in both regions corresponded to plants used as sedatives, followed by hypnotics, and finally anxiolytics. Among the most used parts of these plants, the use of leaves prepared in the form of infusions predominated. Of the 8 plant species with the highest acceptance by the population, the plants P. neochilus, J. pectoralis, L. inermis, and P. incarnata obtained the best values for the evaluated ethnopharmacological indicators.

Anticonvulsants are crucial for treating neurological diseases, necessitating close pharmacovigilance due to their potential risks. For this reason, a prospective descriptive study was conducted to characterize drug-related adverse reactions associated with the use of carbamazepine in the health area of the "Ramon Lopez Peña" Polyclinic, covering the period from July to December 2022. The sample consisted of 35 patients, characterized based on demographic, clinical, and pharmacotherapeutic variables. The detected drug-related adverse events were classified according to causality, severity, and frequency of occurrence. The results showed that the age group of 40-75 years (45.7%) predominated, along with female gender, mixed ethnicity, pre-university education level, and 54.2% did not have any unhealthy habits. The most common diagnosis was epilepsy (68.4%) and among the associated diseases, hypertension was prevalent. The most consumed medications were captopril, hydrochlorothiazide, paracetamol, and metamizole (dipirona). Drug interactions were detected, and 73 adverse reactions occurred, with the nervous system being the most affected at 56.0%. Possible adverse reactions (42.5%), frequent (49.4%), and mild (58.9%) predominated. This study underscores the importance of continuous and effective monitoring in pharmacovigilance to enhance patient safety under carbamazepine treatment, thereby promoting a more rational use of this medication.

Mimosa pudica L., a pantropical medicinal herb rich in polyphenols, but also containing the non-protein amino acid mimosine with known cytotoxic properties, is a case for xenobiotic pharmacology, yet its safety profile remains inadequately characterized. In this study, we quantified the major metabolite classes of an aqueous decoction of M. pudica aerial parts, evaluated its in vitro hemocompatibility in human erythrocytes, and assessed its antioxidant activity using five cell-free assays. We also employed computational tools (ADMETlab 3.0, ProTox 3.0, SwissTargetPrediction, and InflamNat) to predict ADMET properties, toxicity alerts, and potential protein targets. The decoction showed high phenolic (316.41 ± 19.58 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (122.99 ± 12.78 mg QE/g) contents, with mimosine levels of 2.11 ± 0.13 mg/g. Antioxidant activity was concentration-dependent, with the lowest IC₅₀ in the DPPH• assay (0.23 ± 0.02 mg/mL). Hemolysis remained below 9% at all tested concentrations (0.2–1.0 mg/mL), with an HC₅₀ > 1.0 mg/mL, consistent with biocompatibility criteria for plant extracts. In silico predictions indicated that most of flavonoids and phenolic acids complied with Lipinski's rule and showed a favorable oral bioavailability, but also, significant CYP450 inhibition and alerts for genotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Predicted molecular targets included redox-modulatory proteins such as AKR1B1, XDH, NOX4, and GSK3B. Collectively, our results demonstrate that M. pudica is a complex mixture of xenobiotics with antioxidant effects, and suggest benefits and risks associated to their individual constituents. Further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to validate these predictions and to determine whether M. pudica can be developed into safe and effective nutraceutical or pharmaceutical preparations.