Current status of Chinese herbal preparations included in LiverTox database

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the contents and features of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) database called LiverTox, as well as 37 herbal preparations included in this database. Methods: Firstly, the source and contents of LiverTox were briefly introduced, including the clinical features, types, severity, and causality assessment scale of DILI. Secondly, detailed information of 37 herbal preparations included in the class of "Herbals and Dietary Supplements" were extracted, including drug name, origin, efficacy, constituents, type of liver injury, and manifestations, to perform a preliminary statistical analysis. Finally, a comparative analysis was performed between such information and current knowledge of Chinese herbal medicine-induced liver injury in China. Results: LiverTox was a DILI database with open access and rich information and provided practical information on treatment, typing, causality assessment, and treatment. Among the 37 herbal preparations, 28 had the risk of liver injury. The most common indication was weight loss, followed by arthritis and constipation. The latency of hepatotoxicity ranged from 4 weeks to 6 months. Compared with the current knowledge in China, there were differences in the varieties and indications for herbal preparations with hepatotoxicity included in LiverTox, and many herbals with acknowledged hepatotoxicity in China were not included. Conclusion: LiverTox database is concise and practical, but there are certain differences between the herbal preparations included in this database and current knowledge in China.