Acute and Sub-acute Toxicity Evaluation in Rats of PPOJ5 and ADOJ6 Herbal Remedies Used Traditionally in the Management of HIV Infection
Oloro Joseph *
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda
Kiguli James Mukasa
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda
Nabirumbi Ritah
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Kampala International University, Western Campus, Uganda
Tanayen Julius Kihdze
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda
Lawrence Imanirampa
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda
Francis Bajunirwe
Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda
Amon Agaba Ganafa
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The use of herbal medicine in the treatment of many ailments is on the rise. It’s a common practice in many rural communities where access to health care is poor but also in the developed world. There is however, no much attention paid to the potential toxicity of these herbal products. This study was conducted to determine the toxicity of two herbal remedies; PPOJ5 and ADOJ6, being used for the management of patients with HIV. Both acute and sub-acute toxicity were evaluated using a rat model. Liver, renal and haematological parameters were measured. PPOJ5 was found slightly toxic with an estimated LD50 of 1.341 g/kg body weight and it significantly elevated lymphocyte count. ADOJ6 was safe in both acute and sub-acute toxicity studies. There is a need to evaluate the extracts of both PPOJ5 and ADOJ6 on isolated human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) to determine their safety level and possible immunostimulatory effects of PPOJ5.
Keywords: Acute, sub-acute, toxicity, herbal, HIV