Hyraceum (HM) used in traditional medicine in Southern Africa is produced by the herbivore Procavia capensis. It is fossilized excreta derived from urine, faecal matter and plant material. In this study, qualitative phytochemical screening, determination of in vitro antioxidant activity using 1, 1-Diphenyl-2picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydrogen peroxide scavenging methods, and determination of the total phenolic content in crude methanolic (95%) extract were done. Phytochemical screening detected the major phytochemical classes in the hyraceum extract as terpenoids, saponins, polyphenols, quinones, phlobatannins and coumarins with minor components as flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, simple phenols, anthocyanins, anthraquinones and amino acids. Total phenolics content was 37.339 mg gallic acid equivalents per gram dry weight (mgGAE/g DW). Effective concentration at 50% (EC 50 ) for HM and L-ascorbic (AA) in DPPH assay was 5.983 and 0.429 µg/ml, respectively while in H 2 O 2 scavenging assay, EC 50 was 5.059 and 1.666 µg/ml, respectively. The antioxidant activity of HM could have been due to the various phenolic and terpenoid antioxidants in the HM. The findings implied that HM was slightly stronger at scavenging H 2 O 2 than at scavenging DPPH. Bioactive compounds in HM could potentially be exploited in further studies as potential antioxidants of therapeutic value.

Hyraceum (HM) is used in traditional medicine in Southern Africa. Three concentrations of HM (mg/ml in distilled water) (0.0156, 0.03125 and 0.0625) were assessed for cytotoxicity (CT), genotoxicity (GT) and modulation of cyclophosphamide (CP)-and ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)-induced GT using the Allium cepa assay following 24 h treatment. CP (1.00 mg/ml) and EMS (0.0375 mg/ml) were not cytotoxic but genotoxic. HM (0.03125, 0.0625 mg/ml) and its mixtures with CP or EMS induced significant reduction (p <0.05) of the mitotic index (MI) and were adjudged cytotoxic. HM alone and its mixtures with CP or EMS induced statistically significant genotoxicity (p < 0.05). Mixture of HM (0.016 mg/ml) with CP was not significantly more genotoxic than CP alone (ME 0.57). Each mixture of HM (0.03125, 0.0625 mg/ml) with CP was insignificantly less genotoxic than CP alone with modulatory effect (ME) of -0.14 and -0.01, respectively, which suggested no interaction between HM and CP. Mixtures of HM with EMS induced positive and significant (>2-fold) MEs and each mixture was significantly (p < 0.05) more genotoxic than HM or EMS alone which indicated a synergistic interaction. Sticky chromosomes, chromosome laggards, chromosome fragments, anaphase and telophase bridges, binucleate interphase cells were observed.