Toxicity of ethanol extracts from Ligularia virgaurea

Ligularia virgaurea. is a widespread poisonous plant species growing in Gannan grassland. The ethanol extract of L. virgaurea is known to possess strong bioactivity. To evaluate the safety of ethanol extract from leaves of L. virgaurea, acute toxicity studies were conducted in mice. All of the tests were based on the 《Toxicological Test Methods of Pesticides for Registration》. The results showed that LD50 of the acute dermal toxicity was greater than 30 g·kg-1, while the LD50 of the acute oral toxicity was 6.983 1 g·kg-1. The ethanol extracts from leaves of L. virgaurea belonged to low-toxic compound, which conformed to the standards of low-toxicity pesticide registration. Based on these results, the ethanol extract may have a potential for exploitation and application as a low-toxicity pesticide.