Summary
Although medicinal plants are beneficial, they also can be important risk factors
for the development of acute and chronic kidney injury, as well toxicity of other
solid organs. There are a lack of reports of adverse kidney events and drug interactions
resulting from medicinal plants owing to a lack of professional surveillance and specific
data on kidney toxicity, especially in low-resource settings. Within the context of
increased medicinal plant use and lack of effective regulatory control, safety is
a key priority issue. We review the benefits and adverse effects of medicinal plants
with particular reference to nephrotoxicity encountered in the Democratic Republic
of Congo in sub-Saharan Africa.
Keywords
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Published online: February 19, 2023
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