Toxicity screening of weight loss tea products by Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay

Abstract

Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. Significant share of tea sales is intended for weight loss and preventing weight gain and obesity. However, evidence-based data for the efficacy of weight loss teas is missing due to the conflicting results obtained in different studies (Rothenberg et al., 2018). Furthermore, these products are subjected to much less rigorous regulation compared to prescription medications (Farrington et al., 2019), and can lead to inconsistent quality and questionable safety. Commercially available weight loss teas are usually herbal mixtures that can result in adverse or toxic effects due to possible interactions of multiple active ingredients. The aim of our study was to determine the potential toxicity of weight loss tea products from different manufacturers using the Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay (BSLA).