Acute toxicity of Galium odoratum to the freshwater cladoceran Moina macrocopa

Galium odoratum (L.) is a medicinal plant with a number of health benefits, used in traditional and modern medicine. The toxicity of the coumarin in Galium odoratum is classified as high, however, no experimental data or data on toxic effects in humans following intake of Galium odoratum are available. The potential toxic effect can be estimated based on the content of coumarin and knowledge of its toxicity. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the acute toxicity effects of a range of concentrations of Galium odoratum water extract on Moina macrocopa and calculate the LC50 within 24 hours. In order to compare the toxicity with those of other, well-known and widely used medicinal plants, extracts of Matricaria chamomilla and Tribulus terrestris are also tested.  The results show that LC50 value of Galium odoratum is comparable with those of Matricaria chamomilla and Tribulus terrestris, and Galium odoratum has intermediate toxicity between the two other studied species.