Purpose: Safety data on commonly used herbal medicinal products (HMPs) and marketed in Ghana is scarce. We assessed the sub-chronic toxicity of three most-patronized commercial antimalarial HMPs in Kumasi, Ghana. Method: Top-three HMPs (designated HPA, HPB and HPC) were selected after a mini-survey and sub-chronic toxicity evaluation conducted in accordance with OECD 407 guidelines. Control rats received clean water while test groups received daily adult human dose (DAHD), 5xDAHD or 10xDAHD of either HPA, HPB or HPC for 30 days. Rats were sacrificed on day 31 to obtain biochemical, haematology and histology samples for analysis. Data were analysed by one-way ANOVA and post hoc Turkey’s test. Results: The three HMPs produced alterations in liver morphology predominantly characterized by prominent foci of fatty changes, scattered hepatocytes with intracytoplasmic fat globules and congested central veins and sinusoids. Delicate alveolar with evidence of inflammation and foci of sloughing within rat airway were observed. Alveolar spaces were obscured by debris and inflammatory cells. HPA and HPC produced scattered intensely congested heart vessels while HPB(10) produced haemorrhage and amorphous exudates. All HMPs produced neither treatment-related deaths nor significant change in haematological and biochemical parameters, except for HPA and HPB which decreased (p<0.05) AST and HPB which elevated (p<0.05) FBG. Conclusion: Data from this study suggest the potential of the herbal products, HPA, HPB and HPC, to cause major organ-system dysfunction or damage. We advise cautious use of these products and recommend further safety evaluation in chronic toxicity models.

Introduction Acute respiratory infections are continuously emerging. Discovered in Wuhan city, China in 2019, COV-SARS-2 and most viral respiratory diseases presently do not have a definitive cure. This paper aims to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of ginseng for prevention and control of acute respiratory illness including SARS-COV-2 in adult population. Method We performed a systematic literature review using databases PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Cochrane library from 1st through the 27th of April 2020. All related articles that reported the use of Ginseng in COVID-19 patients were included in this analysis. Screening was done by 2-independent researchers. The meta-analysis was performed using comprehensive meta-analysis package. Result 596 articles were retrieved for the time frame. After screening, 5 articles with RCTs outcomes relevant to the review were selected. Ginseng was found to be effective in the reduction of risk by 38 % and 3-days shorter duration of acute respiratory illness (ARI) in all trials than placebo. Conclusion As the world continues to race to find a cure, it is important to consider the use of ginseng which has been proven over the years to be effective in the treatment of acute respiratory illnesses. Further studies should however be conducted to determine the right dosage to improve efficacy and prevent adverse events. Funding This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Highlight ⍰ COVID-19 is very infectious ravaging the globe ⍰ Millions have been infected and hundreds of thousands lost their lives to COVID-19 ⍰ Due to absence of vaccines, urgent search for vaccines and drugs is still underway ⍰ Ginseng has been useful in similar respiratory viral infections in the past ⍰ Current paper throws more light on the need to consider ginseng for COVID-19 control