article · Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Herbal mixtures represent a primary healthcare option for treating conditions such as malaria across many African communities. However, heavy metal contamination arising from plant sourcing, preparation, or human activities presents potential health hazards. An evaluation of Agbo, a common anti-malarial herbal remedy sold in Kano State, Nigeria, assessed the presence of heavy metals alongside its antioxidant capacity. Tested samples contained beneficial phytochemicals such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins, demonstrating notable antioxidant and reducing activities across multiple assays. Despite these positive properties, chemical profiling revealed concerning concentrations of toxic metals, including cadmium, chromium, and lead. Cancer risk prediction values linked to prolonged consumption exceeded the safety limits established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, whilst non-cancer risk indices also indicated contamination risks, demonstrating that while the remedies possess therapeutic characteristics, their metal burdens render them potentially unsafe for routine use.
Herbal preparations are widely trusted and consumed for managing common illnesses such as malaria. While these mixtures possess genuine antioxidant value, unregulated production can allow dangerous heavy metals to accumulate. Demonstrating that long-term consumption exceeds international cancer risk thresholds highlights an urgent need for safety monitoring to protect consumers who rely heavily on traditional remedies.
The findings are relevant to herbal medicine producers, public health regulators, and quality control laboratories seeking to develop safety standards and purification processes for traditional remedies. The work is at an analytical testing stage, showing a clear need for testing protocols or cleaner processing methods rather than offering an immediate commercial product. The abstract does not indicate an explicit commercialisation pathway.
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Herbal remedies are alternative option for the treatment, management, and prevention of different disease conditions such as malaria in most African communities due to their easy access and economic advantages. Heavy metals contaminations from the plant ingredients, processing or anthropogenic activities may render the herbal harmful for human consumption. Therefore, risk assessment of contaminating metals and antioxidant activities were determined in Agbo, a popular anti-malarial herbs mixture sold in Kano. The samples were collected from different locations across Kano State and labelled as A, B, C. The concentrations of some human cancer-causing (Cadmium Cd; Lead Pb and Chromium Cr) and some non-cancer-causing metals such as Copper Cu; Nickel, Ni in the sample were evaluated. The antioxidant properties were also evaluated using various assays, which include 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenging actions, Metal Chelating, phosphomolybdate test and Reducing power properties of Agbo. Some phytochemicals (Phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins and alkaloids) were found to be present. The values predicting the probability of human developing risk of cancer ailment after the ceaseless consumption of the herbal mixtures was found higher than a standard threshold limit (>10−4) established by USEPA. While the non-cancer predicted risk index projected the Cr, Pb and Cd (from sample B) as the leading metal pollutants of the herbal mixtures posing a risk index of more than one (>1), while Ni and Pb (from sample A and C) showed a relative safe quotient. The determined IC50 value for reducing power showed the herbal mixtures exhibiting almost same antioxidant activities with sample C having the highest (IC50 6.32 μg/mL), followed by sample B (IC50 6.36 μg/mL) and sample A (IC50 6.39 μg/mL). This suggests that excess consumption of this mixtures may be generally beneficial health-wise but unsafe due to the heavy metals which could expose the consumers to probable cancer risks and other biological process distraction.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.cscee.2023.100576
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