Abstract

In Sub-Saharan Africa, herbal medicines are commonly used for prevention or treatment of illnesses, including erectile dysfunction. Contemporary medicines used to manage erectile dysfunction are not only inaccessible to local populations, but also impose significant out-of-pocket expenditure on patients. Herbal medicines offer alternatives for alleviating erectile dysfunction, which has clinical, psychological and societal consequences. Regardless, there are increasing concerns about the safety and/or toxicity of herbal medicines. In this study, the toxicity of aqueous extracts of four herbs, commonly used in south-western Uganda, to manage erectile dysfunction, was investigated. Acute and sub-chronic toxicity studies were conducted following the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidelines for toxicity study. All four plants extracts were found safe at single dose exposure up to the limit dose of 5000 mg/kg. Extracts of Cola acuminate reduced the weights of the experimental animals, Tarenna graveolens and Cola acuminata indicated low level liver toxicity and Tarenna graveolens, Cola acuminata and Urtica massaica indicated low level renal toxicity following multiple exposures for 90 days. Three of the four herbs studied have shown low level toxicity on multiple exposure for 90 days.

Key words: Toxicity, Mondia whiteii,Cola acuminata,Urtica massaica, and Tarenna graveolens.