Effect of Chronic Administration of HRT 123 Herbal Formulation on Some Haematological Indices and Serum Biochemical Markers in Wistar Rats

Herbal preparations continue to be the mainstay of treatments for diverse medical conditions worldwide especially in sub-Saharan Africa and other resource-constrained areas. The preparations are often taken for a prolonged period due to the chronic nature of some of the medical conditions (such as cancer, HIV/AIDS) being managed. Consequently, the safety of the preparations needs to be carefully considered. One such preparation, traditionally claimed to have immune boosting potentials in patients with conditions associated with decreased immune function and in chronically ill and debilitated patients is the herbal formulation HRT 123. The study evaluated effects of chronic administration of HRT 123 aqueous extract on some haematological indices and serum biochemical markers. Five groups of six Wistar rats each were used. Group 1 was administered distilled water only. Groups 2 to 5 were administered 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg respectively of HRT 123 aqueous extract orally for 90 days. Animals were sacrificed at the end of extract administration. The blood was analyzed for haematological indices, parameters of liver (AST, ALT, total protein and albumin) as well as kidney (sodium, potassium, chloride andcreatinine) function. There were no statistically significant changes (P> 0.05) in haematological indices as well as serum biochemical parameters and electrolytes in treated animals relative to control. These results suggest that HRT123 may not have adverse and deleterious effects on functions of organs such as the liver and kidneys when administered over a prolonged period.