A comparison between osteogenic index, gross and skeletal abnormalities in the embryo of treated mice with herbal Lavandula officinalis and those with chemical phenytoin antiepileptic drugs

To compare a synthetic drug, phenytoin and an herbal drug, Lavandula officinalis, used as antiepileptic remedy, their teratogenic abnormalities were compared using BalbC mice. The essential oil and phenytoin both reduced the embryo weight, CRL index, length and ossification of femur and tibia and increased the number of abnormal embryos. But these ill effects were more pronounced with phenytoin than with L. officinalis. It can be concluded that herbal remedy L. officinalis is better than synthetic phenytoin with less congenital abnormalities in mice.