*13.9.1. Animal toxicity*

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 adverse effects in the liver and kidney [87].
