Preclinic evaluation of the safety of potential anticovid-19 phytomedicine: SAYE PLUS impacts on Wistar rat biochemical and histopathological parameters in sub-chronic toxicity study.

Although considered safe and widely used, some natural remedies are responsible for health ailments to their users that deserve to be investigated. SAYE PLUS is one of the most widely used traditional recipes as antimalaria for decades and recently against Covid-19 in Burkina Faso and beyond, and is commonly regarded as safe to use. In the present study, sub-chronic toxicity tests were performed orally in Wistar rats at daily doses of 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg for 90 days, following the guidelines of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The results revealed neither symptoms of toxicity nor mortality. Depending on the dose, time frame, or animal sex, compared with the control, SAYE PLUS powder caused a statistically significant reduction in the water and food consumption of the treated rats. Significantly increases in serum creatinine, total protein, hydrogen phosphate ion (PO₄²), and potassium ion (K⁺) levels were detected in females at all doses. Compared to control values, the male rats' glucose decreased while its PO₄^2- increased significantly at the daily dose of 1000 mg/kg of SAYE PLUS. Histopathological analysis revealed that the rat heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and spleen histostructure were unaffected by sub-chronic exposure to SAYE PLUS up to 1000 mg/kg/d. The Findings provide some scientific information on the toxicological profile of the phytomedicine SAYE PLUS when administered in repeated doses for 90 days. However, they are limited by the absence of analysis of the animals' hematological parameters. Nevertheless, results show that for patient safety, it is not advisable to use SAYE PLUS for more than two consecutive weeks. Furthermore, herbal remedies need careful evaluation before or during their human use, especially when a new form of use other than the traditional one is proposed. Further long-term studies focusing on the hematological parameters and certain kidney and liver functional indicators will add the scientific merit and interest of the present work.