Pharmacological Evaluation of a Nigerian Polyherbal Health Tonic Tea in Rat

Abstract

The present study is a fourteen day study, designed to investigate the
hematological and biochemical effects of single, daily oral doses of 100 – 600 
mg/kg of a Nigerian Polyherbal Tonic Tea (PHT) in four groups of adult 
Wistar rats. Acute oral toxicity test of PHT at the limit dose of 5000 mg/kg 
was also conducted using Up-and-Down Procedure on statistical software 
program (AOT425StatPgm, Version 1.0.). Results showed PHT to induce 
significant (p<0.05) dose-related elevation in the packed cell volume (PCV), 
platelet, total leukocyte counts and lymphocyte differentials, while causing 
significant (p<0.05) suppression of granulocyte differentials in dose-related 
fashion. PHT, also, induced a significant (p<0.05) dose-dependent rise in the 
fasting blood sugar which was at variance with its folkloric use as an oral 
hypoglycemic agent. PHT did not induce mortality at the tested limit oral 
dose, indicating its relative oral safety up to 5000 mg/kg on acute exposure.