Toxicological evaluation of aqueous extracts of Clematis hirsuta and Rhamnus prinoides

Abstract

_Clematis hirsuta_ leaves and _Rhamnus prinoides_ roots have a long history of medicinal use in Nyeri County, Kenya. However, there is no evidence to back up their safety. The acute and subacute toxicity of _Clematis hirsuta_ aqueous leaf and _Rhamnus prinoides_ aqueous root extracts in _Wistar_ rats was investigated in this study. Changes in body weight, feed and water consumption were used as toxicity indicators in the acute toxicity study, while changes in weight, biochemical and hematological parameters were used as toxicity indicators in the subacute toxicity study. The data from the acute toxicity study was summarized as mean±standard deviation and analyzed using the unpaired Student’s t-test. The data from the subacute toxicity study was summarized as mean ±standard deviation and analyzed using Two Way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test. The significance level was set at _p≤0.05_. The extracts reduced feed and water consumption in rats but caused no physical signs of toxicity or death, nor did they have any significant effects on weight, biochemical, or hematological parameters when compared to controls. These findings indicate that oral administration of _Clematis hirsuta_ aqueous leaf and _Rhamnus prinoides_ aqueous root extracts to _Wistar_ rats is generally nontoxic.