Metabolomic Profiling of Medicinal Plant-Based Soft Porridge and Evaluation of Cytotoxicity

Background/Objectives: Traditional medicinal plants play a crucial role in infants' healthcare in underdeveloped countries and communities where access to modern medicine is limited. In Limpopo, the Vhavenda tribe has a custom of feeding babies as young as a day old with tshiunza, a very light and warm, soft porridge prepared in medicinal plant extracts, believed to help treat various ailments and boost the immune and digestive systems. However, reports of negative side effects, including vomiting, haematuria, renal inflammation and hospitalisations, highlight safety concerns of these traditional practices. This study aimed to profile the chemical composition of soft porridge samples prepared in aqueous extracts of medicinal plants reported to be commonly used in infants' food in the Venda region of Limpopo; Annona senegalensis (roots), Piliostigma thonningii (leaves), Carissa edulis (roots) and Bauhinia galpinii (leaves). Methods: Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-qTOF-MS) was used for metabolic profiling, followed by putative compound identification using feature-based molecular networking and a compound fragmentation predictor tool, SIRIUS. To evaluate the toxicity of these plants, a cytotoxicity assay was conducted using plant extracts on African monkey kidney cells. Results: Different classes of polyphenols, including flavonoids (flavan-3-ols and flavonols) and hydroxycinnamoyl amides, were among the dominant compounds putatively identified in the methanolic extracts of soft porridge prepared from the four plant extracts. A. senegalensis aqueous extracts were inactive (IC₅₀ > 500 µg/mL, 55.57% viability at 500 µg/mL), while P. thonningii was non-cytotoxic (105-132% viability within the tested concentration range). Conclusions: Although no toxic compounds were identified and no cytotoxic potential was observed in the tested plant extracts, this does not translate to the safe use of medicinal plants in infants' food. Therefore, future studies should conduct pharmacological and toxicological evaluations to better understand the potential risks of these plant extracts to infant health.