The fruit and leaf's toxicity of Phytolacca Americana L.were tested and evaluated by acute oral toxicity test in mouse, in vitro cytotoxicity test and C. elegans toxicity test.MethodsIn the experiment of acute oral toxicity test in mouse, the maximum limit method was used to test the leaf's toxicity and Horn's method to test the fruit's toxicity. In vitro cytotoxicity test was carried out on CHL cells using neutral red uptake method. C. elegans toxicity test was carried out after 24 h exposure using 96-well plates. ResultsBy acute oral toxicity test in mouse, it was proved that the leaf was no-toxic with the maximum tolerated dose no less than 20.00 g/kg BW and the fruit was actually no-toxic with LD50 greater than 10.00 g/kg BW. The fruit's toxicity was greater than the leaf's. In the in vitro cytotoxicity test, the leaf and the fruit's IC₅₀ were 7.4 and 5.6 μg/ml respectively. In C. elegans acute toxicity test, the death of the nematodes was not detected at the dose of 215.0 mg/ml after 24 h exposure to leaf, whereas the IC₅₀ of fruit was detected as 16.5 μg/ml.ConclusionIt was indicated that the Phytolacca Americana L. fruit's toxicity wasgreater than the leaf's using classic mouse and C. elegans exposure model. In the in vitro cytotoxicity model, the fruit's toxicity was a little higher than the leaf's with minor difference. It was suggested that C. elegans model had more practical potential than in vitro cytotoxicity model on toxicity screening.