Toxicity Of Medicinal Plants Research Articles

Bioactive Compounds and In Vitro Evaluation of Phyllanthus niruri Extract as Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities

Phyllanthus niruri grows easily in Indonesia and is widely used in traditional medicine. Differences in growing conditions, methods of preparation, and harvest time greatly affect the phytochemical contents, affecting the efficacy and toxicity of medicinal plants. This study aims to identify the phytochemical contents and toxicity and determine the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Phyllanthus niruri extract (PNE) commonly used by people in Aceh. Phytochemical analysis was carried out qualitatively and semi-quantitatively with GC-MS. A toxicity test was carried out with the brine shrimp lethality test (BSLT). The antioxidant activity was assessed by measuring IC50 against the DPPH system. Antimicrobial assays against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans were determined based on the disc diffusion test. The results of this study indicate that PNE contains phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, steroids, saponins, and alkaloids. Based on the semiquantitative phytochemical analysis using GC-MS, the major phytochemical component of PNE is 2,3 dihydro-3-5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one, hexadecanoic acid, triazole derivates, linolenic acid, benzaldehyde 3,4-dimethoxy, hexahydroanthracene derivatives, and phytol. The LC50 PNE is 532.96 ppm. The IC50 value for PNE in inhibiting DPPH is 56.72 ppm. PNE has antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, directly proportional to the increase in concentration. PNE obtained in community yards in Aceh has a low level of toxicity with potent antioxidant and antimicrobial activity against S. aureus. HIGHLIGHTS Phyllanthus niruri (PNE) extract contains various compounds such as phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, steroids, tannins, and saponins PNE exhibits strong antioxidant activity with low toxicity Antimicrobial activity of PNE against the growth of S. aureus while exhibiting comparatively lower potency against E. coli and C. albicans GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

In vitro cytotoxicity investigations of chloroform extract of Anisomeles malabarica on vero and lung cancer [A-549] cell lines

The main objective of this study is to investigate the cytotoxic potential of chloroform extract of medicinal plant Anisomeles malabarica. Successive solvent extraction of Anisomeles malabarica in chloroform was done. The extracts were tested against normal cell lines (Vero) human lung cancer cell lines (A-549) using the thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide test (MTT) assay. The results of the present investigation revealed that the chloroform extract of Anisomeles malabarica shown anti-lung cancer activity. The evaluation of the toxicity of medicinal plants and their herbal preparations is essential to determine the applicability of the samples as pharmacological drugs. Further studies are necessary for more extensive pharmacological and toxicological evaluations.

Use of Metabolomic Approaches in Analysis of Medicinal Plants and Phytopreparations (Review)

Introduction. The purpose of the analytical review is to summarize the data of modern scientific literature on the directions and possibilities of using the approaches of metabolomics in the analysis of medicinal plants, plant raw materials and herbal drugs.Text. Analysis of literature data showed that metabolomic approaches have great potential in the field of quality control of multicomponent phytopreparations and biologically active additives, detection of falsifications of rare and expensive plant materials, chemosystematics of medicinal plants, study of the mechanisms of action and toxicity of medicinal plants, etc.Conclusion. Metabolic analysis can become an effective analytical platform both for phytochemical research of plant raw materials and for regular activities to control the quality of plant material and phytopreparations.

Medicinal plants used in management of cancer and other related diseases in Woleu-Ntem province, Gabon

IntroductionDespite advances in medical technology, the fight against cancer remains difficult in developing countries. Thus, traditional medicine remains the first choice or sometimes still, the only opportunity for treatment. The purpose of this work was to popularize the medicinal plants used by Gabonese herbal therapists in the treatment of cancers by an ethnopharmacological survey. MethodsIn four localities of the Woleu-Ntem province, traditional healers were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistical methods and various quantitative indices. The anticancer potential and toxicity of medicinal plants were confirmed by the bibliographic review. ResultsTraditional healers of Woleu-Ntem use 51 species of medicinal plants in cancers management and related diseases. These species are grouped into 49 genera and 29 families, the best-represented being Euphorbiaceae, Annonaceae, Apocynaceae, Myristicaceae and Rubiaceae. Barks are mainly used, followed by leaves. Decoction and maceration were the main methods of preparation. The oral absorption was the main route of administration. Colorectal, breast, cervical and liver cancer were the most cancers treated. The results of the literature search show that most of the plants in the survey have anticancer properties and are non-toxic at dosage and oral use by traditional healers. ConclusionsThe present work is the first study reporting information on the different Gabonese medicinal plants used against cancer. About 16 plant species have been mentioned for the first time as anticancer agents. These species could constitute a scientific database for the research of new bioactive molecules against cancers and other diseases.

Screening of phytochemicals and toxicity of medicinal plants,Dilleniaspecies, reveals potential natural product resources

Plants in genus Dillenia have traditionally been consumed as foods and used for cancer and diarrhea treatments. Crude hexane extracts of nine species, D. aurea, D. excelsa, D. grandifolia, D. ovata, D. parviflora, D. philippinensis, D. pulchella, D. reticulata, and D. suffruticosa were analyzed for chemical contents via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and for their cytotoxicity and genotoxicity on leukocytes via cell counting and comet assays. Oleamide, a chemopreventive agent which acts against Alzheimer's disease, enhances memory function and promotes sleep, was found at the highest amount (18.05–75.60%). The other components discovered in high amounts were squalene and vitamin E. The IC50 of all studied species was higher than 430 µg/mL. Comet assay indicated insignificant DNA damage (p > .05). These results indicate that the plants containing a high amount of useful phytochemicals are nontoxic to normal human cells, thus may be safely applied for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other related conditions. Practical applications Oleamide has an important role in living things, especially in humans. Its functions are, improved memory recovery, induced deep sleep and appetite in elders. Based on the principles of phytotherapy, a plant species actually contains several pharmacological compounds in a different quantity; a medicinal reading should be in a single unit. In agreement with a high quantity of oleamide in Dillenia species, many species would be selected to produce natural products in convenient forms, and in drug discovery, because this serves as active principles in drugs as well as templates for synthesis of new drugs. In this research, seven out of nine species including Dillenia aurea, D. excelsa, D. grandifolia, D. ovata, D. parviflora, D. philippinensis, and D. reticulata contained high amounts of oleamide, were expected to release single medicinal activity, and show no cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. Accordingly, they should effectively be made available in modified forms in order to be health products.

Medicinal Plants from North and Central America and the Caribbean Considered Toxic for Humans: The Other Side of the Coin.

The consumption of medicinal plants has notably increased over the past two decades. People consider herbal products as safe because of their natural origin, without taking into consideration whether these plants contain a toxic principle. This represents a serious health problem. A bibliographic search was carried out using published scientific material on native plants from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, which describe the ethnobotanical and toxicological information of medicinal plants empirically considered to be toxic. A total of 216 medicinal plants belonging to 77 families have been reported as toxic. Of these plants, 76 had been studied, and 140 plants lacked studies regarding their toxicological effects. The toxicity of 16 plants species has been reported in clinical cases, particularly in children. From these plants, deaths have been reported with the consumption of Chenopodium ambrosioides, Argemone mexicana, and Thevetia peruviana. In most of the cases, the principle of the plant responsible for the toxicity is unknown. There is limited information about the toxicity of medicinal plants used in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. More toxicological studies are necessary to contribute information about the safe use of the medicinal plants cited in this review.

Feverish Agitation Unveiling a Poly Poisoning in Young Children

The use of plants is widespread with traditional Moroccan medicine occasionally resulting in poisoning that can be sometimes be fatal, especially in children. The toxicity of medicinal plants and their chemical interactions are mostly unknown by many who use these topical/oral mixtures. We report the case of 4 year old boy, hospitalized in the department of Infectious Diseases P1 at the Children's Hospital of Rabat for 'feverish agitation' (fever and central nervous system irritability) after inhalation of Peganum harmala, ingestion of Chenopodium and nasal application of cade oil. The laboratory tests concluded renal and hepatic failure. The clinical condition improved after 36 hours, with renal and hepatic failure resolving after 3 to 6 days.

Toxicological evaluation of the plant products using Brine Shrimp (Artemia salina L.) model

Many natural products could serve as the starting point in the development of modern medicines because of their numerous biological and pharmacological activities. However, some of them are known to carry toxicological properties as well. In order to achieve a safe treatment with plant products, numerous research studies have recently been focused on both pharmacology and toxicity of medicinal plants. Moreover, these studies employed efforts for alternative biological assays. Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay is the most convenient system for monitoring biological activities of various plant species. This method is very useful for preliminary assessment of toxicity of the plant extracts. Rapidness, simplicity and low requirements are several advantages of this assay. However, several conditions need to be completed, especially in the means of standardized experimental conditions (temperature, pH of the medium, salinity, aeration and light). The toxicity of herbal extracts using this assay has been determined in a concentration range of 10, 100 and 1000 µg/ml of the examined herbal extract. Most toxicity studies which use the Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay determine the toxicity after 24 hours of exposure to the tested sample. The median lethal concentration (LC50) of the test samples is obtained by a plot of percentage of the dead shrimps against the logarithm of the sample concentration. LC50 values are estimated using a probit regression analysis and compared with either Meyer’s or Clarkson’s toxicity criteria. Furthermore, the positive correlation between Meyer’s toxicity scale for Artemia salina and Gosselin, Smith and Hodge’s toxicity scale for higher animal models confirmed that the Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay is an excellent predictive tool for the toxic potential of plant extracts in humans.

Traditional medicinal plants in Nigeria—Remedies or risks

Ethno-pharmacological relevanceSoil pollution due to increasing industrialization is a reality that is taking its toll on mankind today. Considering the population of people that use herbal remedies especially in developing countries and the discharge of industrial waste on surrounding herbal vegetation, it is imperative to determine the heavy metals contamination in some commonly used medicinal plants. Materials and methodsRepresentative samples of five medicinal plants Ageratum conyzoides, Aspilia africana, Alchornea cordifolia, Amaranthus brasiliensis and Chromolaena odorata were collected from Ikpoba-Okha L.G.A, Edo State Nigeria, around a paint company and another set of same plants were collected from a non-polluted source. Dried leaves and roots of collected plants were digested and analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) for the presence of Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni) and Zinc (Zn). Soil samples from polluted and non-polluted areas were also analyzed to ascertain the levels of these heavy metals in the environment. ResultsResults show that the concentrations of these heavy metals in the leaves and roots of plants collected from polluted soil were significantly higher than those obtained from unpolluted soil. Correspondingly heavy metal concentrations were significantly higher in polluted than in unpolluted soil samples. ConclusionAs part of continuing effort in the standardization of traditional remedies, environmental contamination control and abatement is evident. The source of medicinal plants/herbs should also be a cause for concern since the toxicity of medicinal plants is sometimes associated with environmental sources of the plants.

Prevalence, perceived benefits and effectiveness of herbal medicine in the management of symptoms of opportunistic fungal infections in HIV/AIDS patients in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

It has been reported that about 75% of HIV-infected patients use remedies from complementary or African traditional medicine in South Africa. The multiplicity of these medicines led not only to potentially severe side effects, but also to clinically significant interactions with antiretrovirals (ARVs) and other medicines. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, perceived benefit and efficacy of herbal medicine in the management of opportunistic fungal infections (OFIs) in HIV/AIDS patients. This study is part of a larger study which includes the evaluation of the antifungal activity and toxicity of medicinal plants in the management of opportunistic fungal infections in HIV/AIDS patients in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Following Ethics Committee approval, 101 HIV/AIDS patients were recruited through convenience sampling into an anonymous cross-sectional questionnaire study. More than one-third (39.6%, 40/101) was reported to be using herbal medicine for treating signs/symptoms of OFIs. Close to half (21, 52.5%) of the 40 HIV/AIDS patients who used herbal medicine reported that the herbal medicine did not help their condition, while 13 (32.5%) patients disclosed that the herbal medicine had a significant and great contribution towards the management of their signs/symptoms of OFIs. Six themes were identified as regards the rationale behind the use of herbal medicine by the HIV/AIDS patients.

Toxicity of medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in Northern Peru

The plant species reported here are traditionally used in Northern Peru for a wide range of illnesses. Most remedies are prepared as ethanol or aqueous extracts and then ingested. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential toxicity of these extracts. The toxicity of ethanolic and water extracts of 341 plant species was determined using a brine-shrimp assay. Overall 24% of the species in water extract and 76% of the species in alcoholic extract showed elevated toxicity levels to brine-shrimp. Although in most cases multiple extracts of the same species showed very similar toxicity values, in some cases the toxicity of different extracts of the same species varied from non-toxic to highly toxic. Traditional preparation methods take different toxicity levels in aqueous and ethanol extracts into account when choosing the appropriate solvent for the preparation of a remedy.

A meta-analysis of medicinal plants to assess the evidence for toxicity

Toxicity of phytochemicals, plant-based extracts and dietary supplements, and medicinal plants in general, is of medical importance and must be considered in phytotherapy and other plant uses. We show in this report how general database analyses can provide a quantitative assessment of research and evidence related to toxicity of medicinal plants or specific phytochemicals. As examples, several medicinal plants are analyzed for their relation to nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. The results of analyses in different databases are similar, and reveal the two best-established toxic effects among the group of plants that were examined: nephrotoxicity of Aristolochia fangchi and hepatotoxicity of Larrea tridentata.