ABSTRACT
The biodiversity of natural chemical compounds derives from the continuous natural adaptation of organisms and the pharmaceutical industry has recently (re) focused on natural-derived compounds. Although historically used, toxicities related to natural/plant products are reported as appending to intrinsic (direct) and extrinsic (indirect) factors. Direct toxicity refers to the presence of active molecule (s) that initiates a biological intended effect, and the evaluation of this direct toxicity is the subject of the present chapter. Hence, this chapter details the main toxicological tests at molecular/ cellular levels in an in vitro systems and the in vivo approaches. These tests are intended for predicting the potential toxicity of plant-derived drug candidates. Toxicological studies drive the decision if a new drug through human clinical use. The data provided by the in vitro and in vivo toxicity evaluations on medicinal plants are at the core of future use of pharmaceuticals.
