Determination of in vitro Cytotoxicity and in vivo Subacute Toxicity of a Phytomedicine Named ‘‘Phytomed''

Background and Objective: Traditional medicine has a prominent place in the treatment of various diseases in Africa and Togo. The major handicap of traditional medicine is the insufficient data on the quality and toxicity of medicinal plants. This study was carried out to assess the safety of a phytomedicine which was named “Phytomed” for the study purpose. Materials and Methods: Before the toxicity tests, phytochemical screening was performed and the cardiac glycoside content was determined in the phytomedicine. The safety assessment involved, cytotoxicity (Brine shrimp lethality test) and acute and subacute toxicity (TG 423 and 407) tests. For the subchronic (28 days) toxicity test, the Wistar rat’s body weight, or relative weight and haematological and biochemical parameters were measured and histological analysis was done. The cardiac activity of the formulation was then conducted on the in situ toad’s heart. Results: The cytotoxicity test showed an LC₅₀ of 0.28 mg mL‾¹. The 28 day repeated administration of Phytomed has induced a significant increase in platelet number at 0.43 and 0.85 mL kg‾¹ and a significant decrease (p<0.05) in CPK at 0.85 mL kg‾¹. The assessment of the phytomedicine effect on the toad in situ heart revealed a negative chronotropic effect. Conclusion: Phytomedicine did not induce toxicity. However, because of the significant increase in the number of platelets and the negative chronotropic effect observed, precautions should be taken during the use of this phytomedicine in the event of thromboembolic and cardiac disorders.