**5. Conclusions**

The results of the current study have indicated and confirmed the antihyperuricemic and nephroprotective potential of RA-3. The ACE inhibitory effect and hypouricemic potential displayed by the triterpene are not only crucial in renal protection, but in other related complications such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and gou<sup>t</sup> arthritis as well. Investigation of the molecular basis of its nephroprotective potential will provide an insight into the triterpene's therapeutic mechanism.

**Author Contributions:** Investigation, analysis, and writing—original draft preparation, N.B.H.; spectral analysis and confirmation of structure, O.A.L.; data analysis and manuscript editing, F.O.O., T.G.D.-D.; conceptualization, methodology, supervision, and manuscript editing, A.R.O., R.A.M. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research received no external funding. The work was supported by the University of Zululand Research and Innovation Department (S956/16). The APC was funded by the University of Zululand.

**Acknowledgments:** The authors are grateful to N.R. Ntuli for confirmation of the plant material, Z. Yuroukova (Ex Officio, St Ekaterina Hospital, Department of Pathology, Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria) for her expertise in histological analysis of the photomicrographs of the kidney sections, and the South African National Research Foundation (SA-NRF) for the scholarship awarded to N.B.H.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.
