Acute and subchronic oral toxicities of Pu-erh black tea extract in Sprague-Dawley rats

Pu-erh black tea, which is obtained by first parching crude green tea leaves and then undergoes secondary fermentation with microorganisms, has been believed to be beneficial beverages for health for nearly 2000 years in China, Japan and Taiwan area. The present study suggested that high dose (5000 mg/kg/day) of BTE intake would be well-tolerated for long-term use as a dietary supplement whatever by animals or human.