Herbal medicines are progressively used worldwide for preventive and medicinal due to widespread confidence in safety of herbal medicines. Moreover, plants have contributed a significant role in the development of synthetic drug (Basaran et al., 2022). For instance, metformin and acarbose for treatment of diabetes, digoxin for cardio-vascular disorder, artemisinin as antimalarial drugs are drugs developed from herbal or natural products (Vivo-Barrachina et al., 2022; Ríos et al., 2015; Farhi et al., 2011; Mashour et al., 1998). Schima wallichii (DC.) Korth. is a traditional herbal medicine belonging to Theaceae family (Sheikh et al., 2015; Barma et al., 2015). This plant is considered as an important antidiabetic plant in Manipur, India. Fresh leaves extract is used traditionally in this region for intensive treatment of diabetes patients (Sheikh et al., 2015). This plant has varied ethnopharmacological uses among tribal communities of India; fruit decoction is often applied for insect bite and snake bite (Lalfakzuala et al., 2007). In Sikkim, India, traditionally, bark extract of this plant is used as antiseptic in cuts and wounds and in expelling worm and in treatment of gonorrhea. Decoction of bark is used in fever and in treatment of pain (Dewanjee et al., 2009). Juice of the bark is also use in treatment of animal infected with liver flukes (Dewanjee et al., 2008). Previous research paper has reported that the methanolic leaves extract possessed antidiabetic activity with significant α-glucosidase inhibition IC50 1.43 ± 70.20 mg/mL (Sheikh et al., 2015). Kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside isolated from leaves of Schima wallichii inhibits cell proliferation and stimulates apoptosis through activation of caspase-9, caspase-3 and PARP (Diantini et al., 2012). Other reported pharmacological activity of Schima wallichii leaves includes antitumor, antimutagenic and anticancer activity of the hydroalcoholic extract (Diantini et al., 2012). Hydroalcoholic extract of bark at a dose of 150 and 300 mg/kg b.w. is reported to possessed anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antipyretic activity (Dewanjee et al., 2009). Hydroalcoholic extract of bark of Schima wallichii was reported to possessed antibacterial and antifungal activity showing highest sensitivity against E. coli, P. aeruginosa and Shigella species and Candida albicans (Dewanjee et al., 2008). Significant in vitro antioxidant activity and free radicals scavenging activity of chloroform, ethanol and aqueous extracts of S. wallichii bark is also reported by Lalhminghlui and Jagetia (2018). The amount of research on this important medicinal plant is limited, and it still needs to be fully explored; validated scientifically for its claim for traditional medicinal importance.

The notion that herbal medicines are always safe for consumption can be sometimes misleading and indiscriminate use of any product can cause adverse effects (Elvin-Lewis, 2001) and even can be fatal in some cases. For instance, senna or aloe vera containing herbal weight-loss products possess laxative effects inducing diarrhoea, reduces intestinal transit time and hence reduce absorption of drug (Suroowan et al., 2021). Therefore, determining a toxicological implication on biological system is utmost important.

Identifying the secondary metabolites present in the plants is an important step to scientifically validate traditionally used medicinal plants. Functional groups and secondary metabolites exist in the plant extract is generally identified through Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry which is generally used fast and accurate technique for phytoconstituent identification Rautela et al. (2018); Gyawali et al. (2015) performed Brine Shrime lethality test to check the cytotoxic acivity of Schima wallichii leaves, LD50 was reported to be 76.0 ppm. Dev et al. (2023) reported that the extract was safe and did not execute dermal toxicity in acute dermal toxicity study of Schima wallichii. Jagetia and Lalhminghlui (2018) reported that Schima wallichii bark extract is non toxic up to 4gm/Kg b.w. in acute toxicity study. Until now, though studies have reported on acute toxicity study of the plant, there is lack of scientific evidence reported on the systematic effect of plant upon explosure to repeated administration. Diantini et al. (2012) have isolated Kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside as antiproliferative bioactive compound but Schima wallichii possessed varied ethnopharmacological potential. So, a wide array of studies can be conducted with this plant to further identify the bioactive compound responsible for its therapeutic potential. So, present study will analyse the chemical profile of the Schima walichii leaves extract through GC-MS analysis, evaluate the oral sub-acute toxicity in rats and determine the total phenol and flavonoid content of the plant.