Acute and Subchronic Toxicity of “Mendim me zon”: A Traditional Tea Made with Solanum aethiopicum Shum Berries

Mendim me zon is a traditional tea made with Solanum aethiopicum Shum berries; a plant belonging to the Solanaceae family. It is a Bantu beverage consumed for its revitalizing properties. Some consumers claim that “Mendim me zõn” possesses detoxifying and revitalizing properties. Powdered berries of this plant are now distributed and consumed in many countries worldwide. Bioactive substances such as glycoalkaloids, galactosamine and fucose, among others, which may be potentially toxic, can be found in Mendim me zon. However, very few studies have examined the safety of this increasingly popular beverage. The present work aimed to conduct a toxicological study of this drink, focusing on acute and sub-chronic toxicity. To do this, 50 g of powdered berries were obtained in the locality of Ngaoundere, Adamawa Region of Cameroon, and were infused in 10 L of boiling water for 10 min. The extract was used to study acute and subchronic toxicity using rats as animal models, for 14 and 42 days respectively. The administered doses were prepared by dissolving the corresponding amounts of extract of S. aethiopicum Shum in distilled water. Clinical, biochemical and histopathological analyses were carried out on male and female rats given progressive doses of the extract. Histopathological evaluation was performed on the liver and kidney of male and female control animals, which had daily received 1000 mg/kg Extract of S. aethiopicum Shum for 28 days. For statistical data analysis, the differences between the test groups and the control group were determined using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's test at the 5% level. The results showed no deaths at any dose. Signs of toxicity including vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, self-mutilation, apathy, agitation, continuous grooming, drowsiness, stupor, tremors, hair erection, difficulty in breathing and anorexia were not observed in rats. Repeated intake of Mendim me zon increased appetite and proved to be laxative. Microscopic sections of the liver and kidney showed normal architecture. Blood parameters remained within normal ranges. However, at high doses (1000 mg/kg/day), extract increased erythrocytes while white blood cells decreased in males. In females, platelets and mean corpuscular volume increased. With the exception of bilirubin, consumption of extract statistically reduced the values of the parameters linked to renal and hepatic function. These results might suggest that Mendim me zon is a safe beverage at doses of less than 1000 mg/kg/day.