RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the in vitro effects of chichorium intybus on bilirubin levels. METHODS: In this study the bilirubin levels in the serum of thirty neonates staying in the NICU and suffering from clinical jaundice was determined three times: first without any alterations, second after adding chichorium intybus extract and third after adding the same amount of distilled water. The results were compared using SPSS statistical software. RESULTS: Of the patients evaluated 76.7% were male and 23.3% were female. The average age was 7.35 days. The mean difference observed in unconjugated bilirubin levels in the specimens containing chichorium intybus extract was 3.84 +/- 2.38 mg/dl and in the ones containing distilled water was 2.85 +/- 2.00 mg/dl. The mean difference observed in conjugated bilirubin levels was 0.29 +/- 0.32 mg/dl in specimens containing distilled water and 0.35 +/- 0.26 in the ones containing chichorium intybus. In none of the cases the results were found to be significant. CONCLUSION: In this study chichorium intybus was found to have no significant in vitro effect on the bilirubin level reported by the laboratory. The in vivo effects of this herbal medicine must be evaluated more closely.