**13.10.** *Musanga* **c***ecropioides* **R. Br. Ex Tedlie**

This plant is widely found in the tropical rainforest, particularly in West Africa. In Nigeria, the boiled leaves are used by the Igbo tribe as a powerful oxytocic to induce or augment labor while others use the decoction as a remedy for hypertension [92]. Parts of the plant have been used by traditional healers in the treatment of an array of diseases including lumbago, rheumatism, leprosy, chest infections and trypanosomiasis [92].

#### *13.10.1. Animal toxicity*

observed. Gastro-intestinal effects were not observed in either male or female mice used in the experiments. The median acute toxicity value (LD50) of the extract was above 20.0 g/kg body weight [86]. There was no significant change observed in the protein levels of the rats treated with lower doses of the extract (50 and 100 mg/kg) compared with control, while an observed significant decrease in the protein levels of the rats treated with a high dose (500 mg/kg) may be a sign of impaired renal function. Also, there was a significant increase (*p* < 0.05) in the plasma creatinine levels of all the treated groups [86]. There was no significant increase in AST and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the animals treated with lower doses of the extract compared with control but a significant increase in ALT was observed in the group treated with a high dose of the extract (500 mg/kg). This implies that the extract at the doses used had no effects on the heart tissue but at a high dose could have some deleterious effects on the liver tissue. The extract did neither improve nor produced any deleterious effects on

The popular herbal tea, rooibos, also known as the 'long-life tea' in South Africa [86], is produced from the plant *A. linearis*. It is endemic to the South Africa [87]. Rooibos tea is known to have several health benefits, including antispasmodic, antioxidant, antiaging and antieczema

Rooibos is exported to the East and Europe [88] and is currently sold in several countries including The Netherlands, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States of America. The tea is mainly patronized due to its health-promoting properties when compared to black tea (*Camellia sinensis*) [89]. Rooibos is used as a beverage by the Khoi-descended people of the Cape; pregnant women take it for the iron content, and to relieve nausea and heartburns associated with pregnancy. It also serves as a milk substitute for infants and as colic relief in babies. Rooibos is well known for its antioxidant activity which also relates to its hepatoprotective properties [87] and immune-modulating effect in stimulating antibody

The safety assessment of rooibos has been addressed by some studies [87, 89]. Although some compounds in rooibos have been shown to contain mutagenic properties [91], it is, however, very unlikely that the mutagenic effect of rooibos would be relevant to tea drinkers when considering the quantities consumed [87]. In a study in rats, chronic consumption of aqueous extracts of unfermented and fermented rooibos over a period of 10 weeks did not cause any

This plant is widely found in the tropical rainforest, particularly in West Africa. In Nigeria, the boiled leaves are used by the Igbo tribe as a powerful oxytocic to induce or augment labor while others use the decoction as a remedy for hypertension [92]. Parts of the plant have been

the hematological parameters [86].

activities [87].

78 Herbal Medicine

production [90].

*13.9.1. Animal toxicity*

**13.9.** *Aspalathus linearis* **(Burm. F.) Dahlg**

adverse effects in the liver and kidney [87].

**13.10.** *Musanga* **c***ecropioides* **R. Br. Ex Tedlie**

Acute toxicity study of *M. cecropioides* aqueous stem bark extract showed no mortality in rats, at a limit dose of 3000 mg/kg body weight given orally. This is an indication that the extract has low acute toxicity when orally administered. Administration of the aqueous extract for 28 days in a chronic study did not affect most of the biochemical parameters except for creatinine which was significantly elevated. Hematological parameters were not significantly affected during the 28-day treatment. Liver enzymes, AST and ALT, were not affected in the treatment showing that the extract is non-toxic on the hepatocytes. The study concluded that the absence of clinical signs of acute toxicities in human when the extract was orally administered as an antihypertensive may reflect the oral route of administration, low dose administration as well as short duration of exposure when used as an antihypertensive agent [93].
