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Toxins
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Toxicity of Plant Toxins in Medicinal Herbs: What’s New?
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Toxicity of Plant Toxins in Medicinal Herbs: What’s New?

A special issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Toxins".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2023) | Viewed by 18540

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Carmela Fimognari

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department for Life Quality Studies, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Corso d’Augusto 237, 47921 Rimini, Italy
Interests: anticancer pharmacology; natural products; in vitro studies; apoptosis; cell death; non-canonical cell death; genotoxicity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Herbal remedies are rapidly gaining popularity in health care, with many such remedies being used as pharmaceuticals around the world. This popularity is due to the belief that natural products are intrinsically safe. On the contrary, they can pose serious risks to human health. The toxic effects of herbal medicines have been attributed to several factors, including the presence of toxic herbal ingredients, drug–herb interactions, or the contamination of herbal preparations by heavy metals, microorganisms, mycotoxins, and pesticide residues. Moreover, the natural variability of raw herbal materials, the climate in which the plant is cultivated, and the harvest time, together with storage conditions and the manufacturing process, can influence the composition of herbal medicines and affect their biological and toxic effects in unpredictable ways. However, the study of the adverse reactions of herbal medicines is still in its infancy.

Thus, the aim of this Special Issue is to deepen our understanding of the impact of medicinal herbs on human health. Contributions of original research or review articles are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Carmela Fimognari
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxins is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • botanicals
  • toxicological issues
  • preclinical studies
  • clinical studies
  • health risks

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 2414 KiB  
Article
Phytochemical Analysis and Toxicity Assessment of Bouea Macrophylla Yoghurt
by Rusydatul Nabila Mahmad Rusli, Ruth Naomi, Muhammad Dain Yazid, Hashim Embong, Kokilavani Perumal, Fezah Othman, Azmiza Syawani Jasni, Siti Hadizah Jumidil, Santhra Segaran Balan, Azrina Zainal Abidin, Khairul Kamilah Abdul Kadir, Hasnah Bahari and Zainul Amiruddin Zakaria
Toxins 2023, 15(2), 125; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins15020125 - 3 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2414
Abstract
The Bouea macrophylla fruit is native to Malaysia and is known for its many beneficial effects on one’s health. Probiotics are well-known for their roles as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumour properties due to their widespread use. As a result, the purpose of this [...] Read more.
The Bouea macrophylla fruit is native to Malaysia and is known for its many beneficial effects on one’s health. Probiotics are well-known for their roles as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumour properties due to their widespread use. As a result, the purpose of this study was to incorporate the ethanolic extract of Bouea macrophylla into yoghurt and then assess the rodents for any toxicological effects. According to the findings of the nutritional analysis, each 100 mL serving of the newly formulated yoghurt contains 3.29 g of fat, 5.79 g of carbohydrates, 2.92 g of total protein, and 2.72 g of sugar. The ability of the newly developed yoghurt to stimulate the growth of Lactobacilli was demonstrated by the fact that the peak intensity of Lactobacillus species was measured at 1.2 × 106 CFU/g while the titratable acidity of the lactic acid was measured at 0.599 CFU/g. In order to carry out the toxicological evaluation, forty-eight male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were utilized. Oral administration of single doses of 2000 mg/kg over the course of 14 days was used for the study of acute toxicity. Subacute toxicity was studied by giving animals Bouea macrophylla yoghurt (BMY) at repeated doses of 50, 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg/day over a period of 28 days, while the control group was given normal saline. The results of the acute toxicity test revealed that rats treated with increasing doses up to a maximum of 2000 mg/kg exhibited no signs of toxicity. After an additional 14 days without treatment, acute toxicity of a single dose (2000 mg/kg) of BMY did not show any treatment-related toxicity in any of the rats that were observed. According to the data from the subacute toxicity study, there were no differences between the treated groups and the control groups in terms of food and water intake, body weight, plasma biochemistry (AST, ALT, ALP, and creatinine), haematological products, or organ weights. The architecture of the liver, heart, and kidney were all found to be normal upon histological examination. This indicates that oral consumption of BMY did not result in any negative effects being manifested in the rodents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicity of Plant Toxins in Medicinal Herbs: What’s New?)
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22 pages, 11807 KiB  
Article
The Mechanism of Houttuynia cordata Embryotoxicity Was Explored in Combination with an Experimental Model and Network Pharmacology
by Yufu Liu, Guodong Yang, Chunqi Yang, Zhuo Shi, Yi Ru, Ningning Shen, Chengrong Xiao, Yuguang Wang and Yue Gao
Toxins 2023, 15(1), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins15010073 - 13 Jan 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3230
Abstract
Houttuynia cordata (H. cordata) is the most common herb as a food and traditional Chinese medicine. Currently, studies on its toxicity have mainly focused on hepatotoxicity. However, its potential embryotoxicity by long-term exposure is often overlooked. Objective: To investigate the effects [...] Read more.
Houttuynia cordata (H. cordata) is the most common herb as a food and traditional Chinese medicine. Currently, studies on its toxicity have mainly focused on hepatotoxicity. However, its potential embryotoxicity by long-term exposure is often overlooked. Objective: To investigate the effects of H. cordata on embryonic development and its toxicity mechanism by combining network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vitro experimental methods. Methods: The effects of H. cordata on embryos were evaluated. Zebrafish embryos and embryoid bodies were administered to observe the effects of H. cordata on embryonic development. Based on network pharmacological analysis, it was found that the main active agents producing toxicity in H. cordata were oleanolic acid, lignan, and aristolactam AII. H. cordata can affect PI3K-Akt, MAPK, and Ras signaling pathways by regulating targets, such as AKT1, EGFR, CASP3, and IGF-1. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry results showed that the expression of AKT1 and PI3K in the embryoid body was significantly reduced after drug administration (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results of network pharmacology and in vitro experiments suggest that H. cordata may affect embryonic development by influencing the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicity of Plant Toxins in Medicinal Herbs: What’s New?)
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12 pages, 2177 KiB  
Article
Acute and Subacute Toxicity Studies of Erodium guttatum Extracts by Oral Administration in Rodents
by Kaoutar Benrahou, Hanae Naceiri Mrabti, Hamza M. Assaggaf, Salma Mortada, Najoua Salhi, Lamiaa Rouas, Rim El Bacha, Abdellah Dami, Azlarab Masrar, Mohammed Merae Alshahrani, Ahmed Abdullah Al Awadh, Abdelhakim Bouyahya, Khang Wen Goh, Long Chiau Ming, Yahia Cherrah and My El Abbes Faouzi
Toxins 2022, 14(11), 735; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins14110735 - 27 Oct 2022
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 6534
Abstract
The present study aimed to evaluate the acute and subacute toxicity profiles of Erodium guttatum extracts in mice using the methods described in the guidelines of the OECD. In the acute toxicity study, the LD50 value was greater than 2000 mg/kg. The [...] Read more.
The present study aimed to evaluate the acute and subacute toxicity profiles of Erodium guttatum extracts in mice using the methods described in the guidelines of the OECD. In the acute toxicity study, the LD50 value was greater than 2000 mg/kg. The subacute toxicity study of E. guttatum extracts showed no significant changes in body or organ weights. The administration of E. guttatum extracts to mice at a dose of 200 mg/kg led to an increase in white blood cells, platelets and hemoglobin. Moreover, the aqueous extract of E. guttatum only decreased liver aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) levels at a dose of 200 mg/kg, and creatinine and urea levels did not show any significant alterations compared to the control group. Our results showed that the extracts of E. guttatum caused a slight increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) and triglycerides. The histological study showed that mice treated with E. guttatum extracts experienced some histopathological changes in the liver, particularly with the methanolic extract, and slight changes in the kidneys and pancreas. Regarding the renal profile, no toxicity was observed. These results provide basic information on the toxicological profile of E. guttatum used in traditional medicine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicity of Plant Toxins in Medicinal Herbs: What’s New?)
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Review

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19 pages, 846 KiB  
Review
Plant Toxic Proteins: Their Biological Activities, Mechanism of Action and Removal Strategies
by Emine Kocyigit, Betul Kocaadam-Bozkurt, Osman Bozkurt, Duygu Ağagündüz and Raffaele Capasso
Toxins 2023, 15(6), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins15060356 - 24 May 2023
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 5244
Abstract
Plants evolve to synthesize various natural metabolites to protect themselves against threats, such as insects, predators, microorganisms, and environmental conditions (such as temperature, pH, humidity, salt, and drought). Plant-derived toxic proteins are often secondary metabolites generated by plants. These proteins, including ribosome-inactivating proteins, [...] Read more.
Plants evolve to synthesize various natural metabolites to protect themselves against threats, such as insects, predators, microorganisms, and environmental conditions (such as temperature, pH, humidity, salt, and drought). Plant-derived toxic proteins are often secondary metabolites generated by plants. These proteins, including ribosome-inactivating proteins, lectins, protease inhibitors, α-amylase inhibitors, canatoxin-like proteins and ureases, arcelins, antimicrobial peptides, and pore-forming toxins, are found in different plant parts, such as the roots, tubers, stems, fruits, buds, and foliage. Several investigations have been conducted to explore the potential applications of these plant proteins by analyzing their toxic effects and modes of action. In biomedical applications, such as crop protection, drug development, cancer therapy, and genetic engineering, toxic plant proteins have been utilized as potentially useful instruments due to their biological activities. However, these noxious metabolites can be detrimental to human health and cause problems when consumed in high amounts. This review focuses on different plant toxic proteins, their biological activities, and their mechanisms of action. Furthermore, possible usage and removal strategies for these proteins are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicity of Plant Toxins in Medicinal Herbs: What’s New?)
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