Effects of Ruzu Herbal Bitters, a Traditional Nigerian Polyherbal Drug, on Longevity and Selected Toxicological Indices in Drosophila melanogaster

There is a steady rise in human consumption of herbal mixtures, particularly in developing countries. This has led to the constant demand for safety evaluation of herbal mixtures by regulatory bodies. Here, the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster was used for the safety evaluation of Ruzu Herbal Bitters, a polyherbal mixture. Firstly, 14 days of survival followed by longevity studies were carried out on flies treated with Ruzu (0, 20, 40, and 60 µL/g diet). Then a similar treatment was carried out for 5 days to assess selected biochemical markers. The results showed no significant effect was noticed on the survival rate of the fruit fly. Long-term exposure showed that Ruzu (40 µL/g diet) increased the lifespan of flies by 6%, while 60 µL/g diet reduced their lifespan by 13%. Ruzu Herbal bitters did not alter the negative geotaxis, acetylcholinesterase, and glutathione-S-transferase activities in flies. Nitric oxide level was unaffected, except at an extreme concentration of 60 µL/g diet. Moreover, Ruzu (20 µL/g diet) significantly increased the total thiol level. The glucose level was also significantly reduced. Our data thus suggest that short term consumption of moderate doses of Ruzu Herbal Bitters might be safe for oral consumption. The hypoglycaemic property observed here may imply that it might be used as an antidiabetic drug.