An In-Vitro Evaluation of A Triple Herbal Therapy Used in Kenya For HIV/AIDS Management

Background: HIV/AIDS continues to be a major health and economic problem worldwide. By end of 2012, the national prevalence for Kenya was 5.6%. A number of interventions are in place including but not limited to upscale of antiretroviral (ARVs). Though these interventions have worked to improve the quality of life for the infected, there are challenges to be overcome owing to the high cost of the drugs, lack of proper distribution infrastructure, side effects leading to poor adherence and ultimately drug resistance to the three classes of the available ARVs. There have been concerted efforts to exploit the potential of herbal medicine in managing the pandemic. However this has been accompanied by many invalidated claims of cure by promoters of herbal medicine. In many countries, Kenya included, Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is largely poorly regulated. In Kenya legistration is underway with an aim of integrating traditional medicine into the country’s health care delivery system. Currently herbal pharmacies are doing thriving business and the remedies are widely available in drug stores, health shops as well as in major retail outlets. In the last couple of years three herbal products have been availed over the counter (OTC) for people living with HIV/ AIDS (PLWHA) in Kenya. The products are; Aloe vera, medicinal mushroom (Ganotech) and Hypoxis hemerocallidea and are offered as a triple HIV herbal therapy with claims of reversing HIV/AIDS symptoms including lowering the viral load. It is imperatives that systems be established to validate such products for both safety and efficacy. Methods: The purpose of this study was to screen Aloe vera, medicinal mushroom and Hypoxis hemerocallidea sold as anti HIV/AIDS medicine by evaluating their in vitro anti-HIV properties and or interactions against standard treatment, HAART using two HIV strains HIV-1025RTA a clinical isolate and HIV-1 IIIB. CD4 cell line C8166 was used for the assay and syncytium induction and P24 antigen ELISA used to determine virus inhibition. Results: The three herbal compounds under study did not show any anti viral activity in vitro whereas the ARVs used as a control were effective in inhibiting HIV-1 replication with EC50 ranging from 0.002 to 0.2μg/ml. The herbal products actually inhibited the ARVs when assayed within the span of their EC50. Conclusions:The three herbal products studied did not exhibit any anti HIV-1 activity in vitro despite being sold as treatment for HIV/AIDS, furthermore they inhibited the ARVs anti HIV activity invitro an indicator of their potential risk owing to concomitant use by PLWA.