none 10.31254/phyto.2026.15105 BioMed Research Publishers BioMed Research Publishers 16195 192875275 316921 20260407013135159 10.31254 2026-04-07T01:31:37Z 2026-04-07T01:31:36Z 0 The Journal of Phytopharmacology J Phytopharmacol 2320480X 10.31254/phyto https://phytopharmajournal.com/ 03 30 2026 15 1 Anis Klouz Henda Ferchichi Ayoub Ksouri Oumayma Abidi Asma Louati Ouajdi Souilem Mounir Bezzarga Balkiss B. Zahar Zakaria Benlasfar Background: Essential oils (EOs) exhibit significant antiviral properties, making them promising candidates for COVID-19 treatment. ‘ImmunoDefender’ is a novel EO-based formulation designed to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 through in silico molecular docking studies. Objective: This study evaluates the In vitro mutagenicity and In vivo acute oral toxicity of ‘ImmunoDefender’ as a first step in its safety assessment. Materials and Methods: Mutagenic potential was assessed using the Ames test with Salmonella typhimurium strains (TA98, TA100, TA1535, TA1537) and Escherichia coli WP2 uvrA, both with and without metabolic activation (S9 mix), at concentrations up to 2500 µg/plate (TA98, TA100, TA1535, TA1537) and 316 µg/plate (WP2 uvrA). Acute oral toxicity was evaluated in Wistar rats following OECD 423 guidelines, with single doses up to 10 times the therapeutic level (2000 mg/kg), followed by 14-day observation. Results: No mutagenic activity was observed in any bacterial strains. In vivo, no mortality, body weight alterations, or significant biochemical and histopathological changes were noted over 14 days post-administration. Conclusion: These findings indicate that ‘ImmunoDefender’ is non-mutagenic and non-toxic under acute exposure conditions, supporting its safety for further preclinical investigations. Future studies should assess long-term toxicity and clinical efficacy in COVID-19 management. 03 30 2026 35 45 1 10.31254/biomed-crossmark-policy www.biomedresearch.org false 10.31254/phyto.2026.15105 https://phytopharmajournal.com/articles/abstracts/880/year=2026&vol=15&issue=1