In Vivo Safety Assessment of Aqueous Extracts of Pterocarpus erinaceus, Boswellia dalzielii, and Cochlospermum tinctorium Administered singly and as a Polyherbal Concoction, in Malaria-Infected Rats

Abstract

This study evaluated the acute and sub-chronic oral toxicity of aqueous extracts of Pterocarpus erinaceus leaves, Boswellia dalzielii stem bark, and Cochlospermum tinctorium roots, administered singly and as a combined formulation, in malaria-induced Wistar rats. Acute toxicity testing revealed no mortality up to 5000 mg/kg body weight, indicating an LD₅₀ greater than 5000 mg/kg. The sub-chronic toxicity assessment showed that malaria infection significantly altered the hematological indices and the liver and kidney function biomarkers of the subjects. The results further shows that treatment of the infested rats with the therapeutic doses of 0.8, 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5 ml/kg of the individual plant extracts and the polyherbal concoction improved most of the altered parameters, with values largely remaining within normal physiological ranges. However, rats treated with single plant extracts exhibited better restoration of hematological and biochemical parameters compared to those treated with the combined extract. Overall, the results indicate that the individual extracts and their concoction are relatively safe at the administered doses, though polyherbal combinations may not necessarily confer enhanced therapeutic benefits as mostly perceived in the study location. These findings underscore the importance of safety evaluation and formulation optimization of traditional herbal medicines.