Toxicological Evaluations of a Popular Polyherbal Remedy-STC30 in Wistar Rats

Background: There is a rising trend in the use of herbal stem cell remedies among the populace due to the belief that such remedies have all-encompassing health benefits, and without side effects. However, there is little or no scientific data reported on their safety profile. This study addressed the toxicological effects of STC-30, one of the popular polyherbal stem cell remedies used in several countries of the world including Nigeria, Ghana, Australia, among others. Methods: The acute toxicity test was carried out using Up and Down Procedure. For the sub-acute toxicity test, a total of 28 animals were used in four groups of seven each. The groups consisted of control, low dose (77.5 mg/kg), medium dose (155 mg/kg) and high dose (310 mg/kg). At the end of administration for 30-days, animals were sacrificed, and blood, kidneys and liver tissue samples were collected for hematological, biochemical and histopathological analyses. Results: Acute toxicity test revealed no obvious toxicity or death at 5000 mg/kg. There was no significant alteration (P>0.05) in body weight gain, feed and water intakes, relative organ weights, urea, sodium, potassium, chloride, total protein and albumin, malondialdehyde (MDA), and white blood cells. However, significant reductions (P