Current Trends in Toxicity Assessment of Herbal Medicines: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Even in modern times, the popularity level of medicinal plants and herbal medicines in therapy is still high. The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of the population in developing countries uses these types of remedies. Even though herbal medicine products are usually perceived as low risk, their potential health risks should be carefully assessed. Several factors can cause the toxicity of herbal medicine products: plant components or metabolites with a toxic potential, adulteration, environmental pollutants (heavy metals, pesticides), or contamination of microorganisms (toxigenic fungi). Their correct evaluation is essential for the patient’s safety. The toxicity assessment of herbal medicine combines in vitro and in vivo methods, but in the past decades, several new techniques emerged besides conventional methods. The use of omics has become a valuable research tool for prediction and toxicity evaluation, while DNA sequencing can be used successfully to detect contaminants and adulteration. The use of invertebrate models (Danio renio or Galleria mellonella) became popular due to the ethical issues associated with vertebrate models. The aim of the present article is to provide an overview of the current trends and methods used to investigate the toxic potential of herbal medicinal products and the challenges in this research field.

Safety of Oral Carica papaya L. Leaf 10% Ethanolic Extract for Acute and Chronic Toxicity Tests in Sprague Dawley Rats

“…International regulatory bodies like the European Food Safety Authority and the United States Food and Drug Administration place considerable emphasis on toxicological data derived from animal studies as a cornerstone for natural product safety evaluations [ 29 , 30 ]. While medicinal plants offer numerous health benefits, some can pose risks of adverse effects, including diseases and toxicity, necessitating rigorous scientific risk assessment investigations [ 31 , 32 ]. Systematic toxicity studies are pivotal for establishing safe consumption levels in humans, thereby helping to ensure the safe application of plant-derived products [ 33 ].…”

Assessment of Median Lethal Dose and Target Organ Toxicity of Oral Sub-chronic Administration of Newbouldia laevis in Mice and Rat Model of Toxicity

“…Toxicity testing is an important aspect of drug development knowing that even herbal medicines have potential side-effects which could vary from being mild, moderate, and severe, to life-threatening [20]. Granted that the objective of most toxicity testing is to evaluate the potential risk to humans, most of the testing is carried out on experimental animals because of the difficulty in obtaining human data due to ethical reasons [21].…”

A fruitful century for the scalable synthesis and reactions of biphenyl derivatives: applications and biological aspects

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