Short-Term Safety and Tolerability of an Antimalarial Herbal Medicine, CoBaT-Y017 in Healthy Volunteers

BACKGROUND: Malaria is the most prevalent parasitic disease in Benin and the main cause of morbidity and mortality. To fight this disease, a large proportion of the population resorts to herbal drugs. However, for most of these herbal preparations, no scientific evidence of their safety or efficacy has yet been established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term safety and tolerability of CoBaT-Y017 and collect some data on its antimalarial efficacy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: CoBaT-Y017 was formulated into syrup accommodated in 70 mL bottles. The trial involved a sample of 10 male volunteers, selected using the Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) method and declared apparently healthy by a physician through clinical examination. During the baseline analysis, two cases of parasitaemia were detected. The volunteers were hospitalized for 5 days and orally given 35 mL of CoBaT-Y017 diluted in 1.5 L of mineral water, for four consecutive days. Safety and tolerability were monitored clinically, haematologically, biochemically, and parasitologically on days 0 to 5, 7, and 14. Adverse events were recorded by self-reporting or by a physician through clinical examinations and biological investigations. RESULTS: 60% of the volunteers experienced no adverse events; appetite increase (40%) and drowsiness (20%) were adverse events noted. There were no changes in physical characteristics or vital signs and haematological and biochemical parameters. The two initial positive cases of parasitaemia became negative 24 hours after administration. CONCLUSION: CoBaT-Y017 presented a significant safety and tolerability in healthy volunteers to allow its further development by starting a phase II clinical study.