Cytotoxicity of pregnancy-related traditional medicines
Brookes, K.Bridget.; Smith, A.N.
South African Medical Journal 93(5): 359-361
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 0256-9574 PMID: 12830599 Document Number: 565437
A study was carried out to establish whether Gunnera perpensa (uqobo in Zulu), Combretum kraussii (umdubu in Zulu) and Rhoicissus tridentata subsp. cuneifolia (isinwazi in Zulu), exhibited any toxic effects at a cellular level. The two types of cell lines used were monkey Vero cells, known to be sensitive to toxins, and human fibroblasts. Cells were exposed for 24 h to aqueous extracts of freeze-dried plant material at concentrations ranging from 500 micro g/ml to 8 micro g/ml. At comparable concentrations, G. perpensa extracts produced the least and R. tridentata extracts the most cell deaths for both types of cells. The threshold for zero cell deaths occurred for monkey Vero cells at the following concentrations: G. perpensa 250 micro g/ml, C. kraussii 67 micro g/ml, and R. tridentata 8 micro g/ml. At these concentrations, 100% of human fibroblast cells also survived. When taking into account dilution in the bloodstream, all 3 plant extracts should be regarded as completely non-toxic. Their estimated concentrations in the bloodstream were 4.6 micro g/ml for G. perpensa, 8.9 micro g/ml for C. kraussii and 6.1 micro g/ml for R. tridentata.