scholarly journals Toxicity Assessment of Herbal Medicine Using Zebrafish Embryos: A Systematic Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chanika D. Jayasinghe ◽  
Uthpala A. Jayawardena
Keyword(s):  
Herbal Medicine ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Zebrafish Embryo ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
Toxicity Assessment ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Herbal Remedies ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Genetic Redundancy ◽  
Crude Extracts

Herbal remedies have been practiced by humans over centuries and therefore possess time-proven safety. However, it is imperative to evaluate the toxic effects of herbal medicine to confirm their safety, particularly when developing therapeutic leads. Use of laboratory animals such as rats, mice, and rabbits was considered as gold standard in herbal toxicity assessments. However, in the last few decades, the ethical consideration of using higher vertebrates for toxicity testing has become more contentious. Thus, possible alternative models entailing lower vertebrates such as zebrafish were introduced. The zebrafish embryotoxicity model is at the forefront of toxicology assessment due to the transparent nature of embryos, low cost, short cycle, higher fecundity, and genetic redundancy to the humans. Recently, its application has been extended to herbal toxicology. The present review intends to provide a comprehensive assembly of studies that applied the zebrafish embryo model for the assessment of herbal toxicity. A systematic literature survey was carried out in popular scientific databases. The literature search identified a total of 1014 articles in PubMed = 12, Scopus SciVerse® = 623, and Google Scholar = 1000. After screening, 25 articles were included in this review, and they were categorized into three groups in which the zebrafish embryotoxicity assay has been applied to investigate the toxicity of (1) polyherbal formulae/medical prescription (2 full texts), (2) crude extracts (12 full texts), and (3) phytocompounds/isolated constituents (11 full texts). These studies have investigated the toxicity of 6 polyherbal formulae, 16 crude extracts, and more than 30 phytocompounds/isolated constituents using the zebrafish embryotoxicity model. Moreover, this model has explicated the teratogenic effects and specific organ toxicities such as the kidney, heart, and liver. Furthermore, in some studies, the molecular mechanisms underlying the toxicity of herbal medicine have been elucidated. This comprehensive collection of scientific data solidifies the zebrafish embryo model as an effective model system for studying toxicological effects of a broad spectrum of herbal remedies. Henceforth, it provides a novel insight into the toxicity assessment of herbal medicine.

Persian herbal medicine in functional dyspepsia: a systematic review article.

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Azimi ◽  
Mohammad Javad Zahedi
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Herbal Medicine ◽  
Functional Dyspepsia ◽  
Nigella Sativa ◽  
Curcuma Longa ◽  
Crocus Sativus ◽  
Herbal Remedies ◽  
Asparagus Racemosus ◽  
Gastric Accommodation ◽  
Cynara Scolymus

Introduction: According to Rome IV, functional dyspepsia is diagnosed with presence of dyspepsia in the absence of organic or metabolic causes. FD caused by several factors such as impaired gastric accommodation and hypersensitivity to gastric distention. Several studies have reported effectiveness of herbal medicine on FD. This article, thus, reviews Persian herbal medicine in FD. Method: Electronic databases including Pubmed, Scopus, Cochrain, Embase, Web of science and Ovid were searched so as to find clinical articles related to dyspepsia and herbal medicine by July 2019. Our search strategies were traditional medicine, complementary and alternative medicine, herb, plant, and dyspepsia. We excluded all articles except Persian clinical trials. Results: We found 34 clinical trials with 15 herbs and 4 compound herbal remedies like Asparagus racemosus, Brassica oleracea, Cynara scolymus, Ocimum basilicum, Mentha longifolia, Mentha pulegium, Mentha piperata, Pimpinella anisum, Nigella sativa, Mastic gum, Curcuma longa, Pistatio atlantica, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Solanum tuberosum and Zingiber officinale and compound remedies of Rosa damascene & Crocus sativus, Trachyspermum copticom & Apium graveolence, Carum carvi & Mentha pipperata, Gingiber officinalis & Cynara scolymus are effective in functional dyspepsia. Conclusion: Many people use herbal and traditional remedies for treatment of disorders such as gastrointestinal disordersو , especially in Asian countries. Several studies reported the efficacy of herbal medicine in functional dyspepsia. Although their mechanisms are not fully understood, it seems they can modulate GI motility and improve symptoms of FD.

Toxicology

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Laumbach ◽  
Michael Gochfeld
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Molecular Targets ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
The Body ◽  
Toxic Substances ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Mechanisms Of Toxicity ◽  
Body Distribution ◽  
Threshold Doses

This chapter describes the basic principles of toxicology and their application to occupational and environmental health. Topics covered include pathways that toxic substances may take from sources in the environment to molecular targets in the cells of the body where toxic effects occur. These pathways include routes of exposure, absorption into the body, distribution to organs and tissues, metabolism, storage, and excretion. The various types of toxicological endpoints are discussed, along with the concepts of dose-response relationships, threshold doses, and the basis of interindividual differences and interspecies differences in response to exposure to toxic substances. The diversity of cellular and molecular mechanisms of toxicity, including enzyme induction and inhibition, oxidative stress, mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, and teratogenesis, are discussed and the chapter concludes with examples of practical applications in clinical evaluation and in toxicity testing.

The zebrafish embryo model in environmental risk assessment—applications beyond acute toxicity testing

2008 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 394-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Scholz ◽  
Stephan Fischer ◽  
Ulrike Gündel ◽  
Eberhard Küster ◽  
Till Luckenbach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Acute Toxicity ◽  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Environmental Risk Assessment ◽  
Zebrafish Embryo ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
Acute Toxicity Testing

scholarly journals Herbal Medicine for Pain Management: Efficacy and Drug Interactions

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 251
Author(s):  
Behdad Jahromi ◽  
Iulia Pirvulescu ◽  
Kenneth D. Candido ◽  
Nebojsa Nick Knezevic
Keyword(s):  
Pain Management ◽  
Herbal Medicine ◽  
Drug Interactions ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Herbal Medicines ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicines ◽  
Alternative Medicines ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

Complementary and alternative medicines such as herbal medicines are not currently part of the conventional medical system. As the popularity of and global market for herbal medicine grows among all age groups, with supporting scientific data and clinical trials, specific alternative treatments such as herbal medicine can be reclassified as a practice of conventional medicine. One of the most common conditions for which adults use herbal medicine is pain. However, herbal medicines carry safety concerns and may impact the efficacy of conventional therapies. Unfortunately, mechanisms of action are poorly understood, and their use is unregulated and often underreported to medical professionals. This review aims to compile common and available herbal medicines which can be used as an alternative to or in combination with conventional pain management approaches. Efficacy and safety are assessed through clinical studies on pain relief. Ensuing herb–drug interactions such as cytochrome modulation, additive and synergistic effects, and contraindications are discussed. While self-management has been recognized as part of the overall treatment strategy for patients suffering from chronic pain, it is important for practitioners to be able to also optimize and integrate herbal medicine and, if warranted, other complementary and alternative medicines into their care.

scholarly journals Investigating Molecular Mechanisms of Immunotoxicity and the Utility of ToxCast for Immunotoxicity Screening of Chemicals Added to Food

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3332
Author(s):  
Olga V. Naidenko ◽  
David Q. Andrews ◽  
Alexis M. Temkin ◽  
Tasha Stoiber ◽  
Uloma Igara Uche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Toxicological Studies

The development of high-throughput screening methodologies may decrease the need for laboratory animals for toxicity testing. Here, we investigate the potential of assessing immunotoxicity with high-throughput screening data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ToxCast program. As case studies, we analyzed the most common chemicals added to food as well as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) shown to migrate to food from packaging materials or processing equipment. The antioxidant preservative tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) showed activity both in ToxCast assays and in classical immunological assays, suggesting that it may affect the immune response in people. From the PFAS group, we identified eight substances that can migrate from food contact materials and have ToxCast data. In epidemiological and toxicological studies, PFAS suppress the immune system and decrease the response to vaccination. However, most PFAS show weak or no activity in immune-related ToxCast assays. This lack of concordance between toxicological and high-throughput data for common PFAS indicates the current limitations of in vitro screening for analyzing immunotoxicity. High-throughput in vitro assays show promise for providing mechanistic data relevant for immune risk assessment. In contrast, the lack of immune-specific activity in the existing high-throughput assays cannot validate the safety of a chemical for the immune system.

Analogy Models for Prediction of Human Toxicity

1990 ◽  
Vol 18 (1_part_1) ◽  
pp. 103-116
Author(s):  
Sven Hellberg ◽  
Lennart Eriksson ◽  
Jörgen Jonsson ◽  
Fredrik Lindgren ◽  
Michael Sjöström ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Subjects ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
In Vitro Cytotoxicity ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
In Vitro Tests ◽  
Human Toxicity ◽  
Efficient Data ◽  
Basal Cytotoxicity

Estimating the toxicity to humans of chemicals by testing on human subjects is not considered to be ethically acceptable, and toxicity testing on laboratory animals is also questionable. Therefore, there is a need for alternative methods that will give estimates of various aspects of human toxicity. Batteries of in vitro tests, together with physicochemical and toxicokinetic data, analysed by efficient data analytical methods, may enable analogy models to be constructed that can predict human toxicity. It may be possible to model non-specific toxicity relating to lipophilicity, or basal cytotoxicity, for a series of diverse compounds with large variation in chemical structure and physicochemical properties. However, local models for a series of similar compounds are generally expected to be more accurate, as well as being capable of modelling more-specific interactions. Analogy models for the prediction of human toxicity are discussed and exemplified with physicochemical and cytotoxicity data from the first ten chemicals in the multicenter evaluation of in vitro cytotoxicity (MEIC) project.

scholarly journals Development of a generic zebrafish embryo PBPK model and application to the developmental toxicity assessment of valproic acid analogs

2020 ◽  
Vol 93 ◽  
pp. 219-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ségolène Siméon ◽  
Katharina Brotzmann ◽  
Ciaran Fisher ◽  
Iain Gardner ◽  
Steve Silvester ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Valproic Acid ◽  
Zebrafish Embryo ◽  
Pbpk Model ◽  
Developmental Toxicity ◽  
Toxicity Assessment

Development and application of a simple procedure for toxicity testing using immobilized algae

1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 129-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad I. Abdel-Hamid
Keyword(s):  
Simple Procedure ◽  
Algal Growth ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Toxicity Assessment ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
Response Parameter ◽  
Test Alga ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Immobilized Algae

A simple microplate technique was adopted for toxicity assessment of a number of pesticides including six herbicides (Atrazine, Dichloroprop, Glyphosphate, Chlorsulfuron, MCPA, and Simazine), an insecticide (Dimethoate) and a fungicide (Propiconazol). Growth response of free and immobilized cultures of the green chlorococcal algae Selenastrum capricornumtum to different treatments of these pesticides was tested and compared. The biotests were carried out under conditions optimal for the growth of the test alga. Algal growth was exposed in terms of dry weight, and was employed as the toxicity-response parameter. Dose-response curves were used to calculate the toxicity of the tested compounds in terms of EC50. Based on EC50 values, the responses of both immobilized and free cultures were quite similar for almost all the treatments. The technique facilitated the visual detection of the lowest toxic concentration giving no detectable algal growth (EC100). The technique is quite simple, rapid, practical, accurate, and space saving. It suggested that batteries of immobilized algae could replace free cultures in studies of toxicity testing.

Memory impairment induced by amphetamine derivatives in laboratory animals and in humans: a review

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordi Camarasa ◽  
Teresa Rodrigo ◽  
David Pubill ◽  
Elena Escubedo
Keyword(s):  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Club Drugs ◽  
Synthetic Drugs ◽  
History Of ◽  
Amphetamine Derivatives ◽  
Considerable Body

AbstractThe 20th century brought with it the so-called club drugs (the most notorious being amphetamine derivatives), which are used by young adults at all-night dance parties. Methamphet­amine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ecstasy) are synthetic drugs with stimulant and psychoactive properties that belong to the amphetamine family. Here, we have reviewed the literature about the cognitive impairment induced by these two amphetamine derivatives and the preclinical and clinical outcomes. Although there is controversial evidence about the effect of methamphetamine and MDMA on learning and memory in laboratory animals, results from published papers demonstrate that amphetamines cause long-term impairment of cognitive functions. A large number of pharmacological receptors have been studied and screened as targets of amphetamine-induced cognitive dysfunction, and extensive research efforts have been invested to provide evidence about the molecular mechanisms behind these cognitive deficits. In humans, there is a considerable body of evidence indicating that methamphetamine and MDMA seriously disrupt memory and learning processes. Although an association between the impairments of memory performance and a history of recreational amphetamine ingestion has also been corroborated, a number of methodological difficulties continue to hamper research in this field, the most important being the concomitant use of other illicit drugs.

Herbal Remedies and Children: Do They Work? Are They Harmful?

PEDIATRICS ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 112 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 240-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan D. Woolf
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Herbal Medicine ◽  
Herbal Medicines ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Herbal Remedies ◽  
Herbal Products ◽  
Safety And Efficacy ◽  
Primary Care Clinicians

More parents are considering the use of herbal remedies to maintain their children’s good health and to treat their illnesses. They look to pediatricians and other primary care clinicians for advice concerning the safety and efficacy of herbal products for children. This article reviews principles for the clinician to keep in mind while investigating the literature on herbal medicine and addressing the use of herbal medicines with parents.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document