Multi-elemental composition of botanical preparations and probabilistic evaluation of toxic metals and metalloids intake upon dietary exposure

The aim of this study was to evaluate the inorganic elemental composition (49 elements) of 29 botanical preparations obtained from fruits, leaves, peels, seeds, roots, fungi, and spirulina by using inductively coupled-mass spectrometry and a mercury analyzer. Simultaneously, the risk associated with the chronic dietary exposure to 12 toxic metals and metalloids among the European population was evaluated by using a probabilistic approach based on Monte Carlo simulations. The analysis revealed worrying intake levels of Al, As, and Ni, primarily stemming from the consumption of spirulina-, peel-, and leaf-based botanicals by younger age groups. The intake of As from all analyzed botanicals posed a significant risk for infants, yielding margins of exposure (MOEs) below 1, while those deriving from peel-based botanicals raised concerns across all age groups (MOEs = 0.04-2.3). The consumption of peel-based botanicals contributed substantially (13-130%) also to the tolerable daily intake of Ni for infants, toddlers, and children, while that of spirulina-based botanicals raised concerns related to Al intake also among adults, contributing to 11-176% of the tolerable weekly intake of this element. The findings achieved underscore the importance of implementing a monitoring framework to address chemical contamination of botanicals, thus ensuring their safety for regular consumers.

Rapid Characterization of Undeclared Pharmaceuticals in Herbal Preparations by Ambient Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Emergency Care

In Asia, some herbal preparations have been found to be adulterated with undeclared synthetic medicines to increase their therapeutic efficiency. Many of these adulterants were found to be toxic when overdosed and have been documented to bring about severe, even life-threatening acute poisoning events. The objective of this study is to develop a rapid and sensitive ambient ionization mass spectrometric platform to characterize the undeclared toxic adulterated ingredients in herbal preparations. Several common adulterants were spiked into different herbal preparations and human sera to simulate the clinical conditions of acute poisoning. They were then sampled with a metallic probe and analyzed by the thermal desorption-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The experimental parameters including sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and turnaround time were prudently optimized in this study. Since tedious and time-consuming pretreatment of the sample is unnecessary, the toxic adulterants could be characterized within 60 s. The results can help emergency physicians to make clinical judgments and prescribe appropriate antidotes or supportive treatment in a time-sensitive manner.

Rapid and robust analysis of aristolochic acid I in Chinese medicinal herbal preparations by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

The use of Chinese herbs containing aristolochic acid can induce the exchange of adenine and thymine in gene mutations and even cause liver cancer. To eliminate the harm of aristolochic acids (AAs) to humans, a rapid and robust method of AAs screening is a prerequisite. In this work, a facile and robust Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method was used for the qualitative and quantitative detection of AAs in Chinese medicinal herbal preparations based on the mandelic acid modified Ag nanoparticles SERS substrate. Qualitative and quantitative SERS detection of Aristolochic acid I (AAI) was achieved with a good linear relationship ranging from 0.2 - 120.0 μM and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.06 μM. The proposed method demonstrates a refined strategy for sensitivity analysis of AAs with the advantages of easy operation, time-saving, high sensitivity, and molecular specificity, making it a preferred platform for the screening of AAI in regular inspections of herbal products and regulatory supervision of the supply chain.

Quality evaluation of commercial herbal products using chemical methods

Herbal products comprise a wide spectrum of locally, nationally or internationally commercialized commodities. As these products have an increasingly important position in healthcare systems worldwide, a detailed product quality assessment is of crucial importance. For the quality evaluation of commercial herbal products, a wide range of methods were used, from simpler, quicker, and cost-effective HPTLC, to hyphenated methods with MS or NMR, where more precise quantification or specific structural information is required. Additionally, most of the methods have been coupled with chemometric tools, such as PCA, or PDA, for the multivariate analysis of the high amount of data generated by chromatograms, electropherograms or spectra. The chemical methods have revealed the widespread presence of low or variable quality herbal products in the marketplace. The majority of analytical investigations present major, qualitative and quantitative, inter-product variations of their chemical composition, ranging from missing ingredients, to strikingly and unnaturally high concentrations of some compounds. Moreover, the inter-batch quality variations were frequently reported, as well as the presence of some undesirable substances. The chemical analysis of herbal products is a vital component to raise the overall awareness of quality in the herbal market and generate a quality driven approach.

Thermal resistance and high-performance microwave decontamination assessment of Bacillus endospores isolated from food-grade herbal extracts

Generally, endospore contamination can occur from different sources during product manufacturing in many industries and therefore lower its quality by affecting physicochemical properties and shelf-life. Bacterial endospores can germinate inside the product and produce several enzymes, which can cause several undesirable changes. This study assessed the spores thermal resistance and applied a microwave decontamination technique toward herbal extracts (Tilia tomentosa and Centella asiatica) containing ethanol or glycerol. Based on 16S rRNA analysis, the detected contaminant endospores belonged to different Bacillus species, namely B. subtilis, B. zhangzhouensis, and B. pumilus. The thermal resistance assessment using inoculated endospores in the actual products revealed B. pumilus T2 as the most resistant endospore to the heat treatments tested in both T. tomentosa and C. asiatica extracts. Finally, a high-performance microwave technique was used to decontaminate T. tomentosa extract against the mixture of Bacillus spores. Results from the microwave technique indicate that the increase of temperature from 100°C to 105°C not only decontaminated the product but also could dramatically decrease the effective thermal treatment time (10 times), which can benefit the product quality. The results provided in this study considerably contribute to improving an original decontamination method for products containing glycerol and ethanol with the most negligible effect on product quality.

A Graded Approach for Evaluating Health Claims about Plant-Based Food Supplements: Application of a Case Study Methodology

The implementation of REGULATION (EC) No 1924/2006 has led to the formation of a list of health claims that can be used in food supplements (EU 432/2012). However, such supplements are often composed of plant preparations with claims omitted from this list. The peculiarity of plants is related to their long history of use, that could allow claims based on traditionally recognized health effects. In addition, the scientific literature has been enriched over the years through clinical studies that have assessed the bioavailability and efficacy of bioactive components, and investigated their mechanisms of action. Based on existing recognized models which aim to classify research according to the level of scientific evidence, Synadiet developed a three-grade model (A, B or C) for assessing plants health claims. In this paper, the applicability of the model is illustrated through an example for which a Grade B health claim attesting the possible contribution of red clover isoflavones to the improvement of blood lipid levels in postmenopausal women has been attributed. The model appears able to be easily extrapolated to claims pertaining to other plants. If adopted by consensus at European level, this model could initiate the implementation of a positive list of health claims on plant preparations.

Phytochemical profile and ethnopharmacological applications of Lecythidaceae: An overview

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The family Lecythidaceae has about 25 genera and 400 identified species, which are distributed especially in the pantropical region, mostly found in the tropics of Central and South America, Southeast Asia and Africa. The third most abundant family in Amazonian forests and the genus Eschweilera, with the large number of species in Lecythidaceae.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

The present review compiles information since the 1934s about of ethnopharmacology, and chemical constituents of species of Lecythidaceae, as well as a summary of the bioactivities shown by the extracts, fractions, and secondary metabolites.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All relevant information on ethnopharmacology, and chemical constituents of species of Lecythidaceae were gathered from electronic databases including Web of Science, Science Direct, Elsevier, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar. Information was also obtained from local books, PhD. and MSc. Dissertations.

RESULTS

The phytochemical diversity of the family was demonstrated with 180 different metabolites that have been reported from 25 species, most of them being triterpenes or flavonoids. The pharmacological studies carried out with the extracts, fractions and compounds showed promising antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, cytotoxic and antioxidant activities.

CONCLUSION

The present review provides an insight into ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology of species of Lecythidaceae. Based on the pharmacological studies it has been found that different plant species of Lecythidaceae possess a wide range of bioactivities such as anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, antileishmanial, antibacterial and antifungal. These activities are due to the presence of bioactive compounds including triterpenoids and their glycosides derivatives, flavonoids, steroids, sesquiterpenoids, alkaloids, and other compounds. However, there are many plants, which have not been assessed pharmacologically and hence warrant further studies.

Quantitative determination of aloin, antioxidant activity, and toxicity of Aloe vera leaf gel products from Greece

BACKGROUND

Aloe vera is a popular medicinal plant used widely by the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food industries. The A. vera leaf gel, which is used mostly for its positive effects on human health, contains over 75 different bioactive compounds, including aloin. Aloin is a toxic compound, and its content in A. vera leaf gel products depends on the different cultivation conditions and especially on leaf processing.

RESULTS

In this study, A. vera leaf gel products, varied in terms of leaf processing, were analyzed using liquid chromatography for their aloin content, their antioxidant activity by 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) radical cation (ABTS^·+ ) and the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH^· ) antioxidant activity assays and their toxicity against Aliivibrio fisheri and SH-SY5Y cells. In the samples processed with industrial methods and in those filtered in the lab, the content of aloin was found below the limit (0.1 mg L^-1 ) of the EU legislation however, the unprocessed and unfiltered samples were found to contain more than 10 mg L^-1 . Antioxidant activity was estimated to vary from 1.64 to 9.21 μmol Trolox mL^-1 for DPPH^· and from 0.73 to 5.14 μmol Trolox mL^-1 for ABTS^·+ . Toxicity values on A. fisheri, expressed as the concentration at 50% loss of initial luminescence, ranged from 0.03 to 0.09 mg mL^-1 . The cytotoxic study indicated that aloin A at low concentrations (1 and 10 μg mL^-1 ) protects SH-SY5Y cells from toxicity induced by hydrogen peroxide.

CONCLUSIONS

Consequently, the filtration process of A. vera leaf gels, either laboratory or industrial, resulted in aloin A content below the EU legislation detection limits. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Risk Associated with the Use of Selected Ingredients in Food Supplements

This review focuses on four new product categories of food supplements: pre-workout, fat burner/thermogenic, brain/cognitive booster, and hormone/testosterone booster. Many food supplements have been shown to be contaminated with unauthorized substances. In some cases, the ingredients in the new categories of dietary supplements were medicinal products or new synthetic compounds added without performing clinical trials. Some of the new ingredients in dietary supplements are plant materials that are registered in the pharmacopoeia as herbal medicines. In other cases, dietary supplements may contain plant materials that have no history of human use and are often used as materials to 'camouflage' stimulants. In the European Union, new ingredients of dietary supplements, according to European Food Safety Authority or unauthorized novel food. Furthermore, selected ingredients in dietary supplements may be prohibited in sports and are recognized as doping agents by World Anti-Doping Agency.

Optimization of pectinase-assisted extraction of Annona muricata L. juice and the effect of liquefaction on its pectin structure

BACKGROUND

Soursop (Annona muricata L.) is an underutilized tropical and subtropical fruit with high nutritional and therapeutic benefits. This fruit is faced with enormous post-harvest losses due to its high perishability. This work was aimed to optimize the pectinase-assisted extraction conditions of soursop juice using Doehlert design and to study the effect of pectinase on its pectin structure.

RESULTS

The predicted models were validated for all the responses studied and the regression coefficients ranged from 0.905 to 0.987 (P ≤ 0.05). An incubation time of 172 min, enzyme concentration of 0.04% (w/w) and incubation temperature at 42.9 °C were found to be the optimal conditions for soursop juice extraction, which resulted in 75.20%, 3.74, 7.35 °Brix, 87.06%T, and 0.44% MAE for soursop juice yield (%), pH, total soluble solids (TSS) (°Brix), clarity (%T) and titratable acidity (% malic acid equivalent, MAE), respectively. Morphologically, untreated soursop pulp presented a non-uniform spherical surface; enzyme hydrolyzed soursop exhibited ruptured and wrinkled surface; meanwhile for the different pectin obtained, untreated soursop pectin depicted porous surface and enzyme hydrolyzed soursop pectin showed whirling rough surface. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) confirmed the presence of similar chemical group stretching and vibrations in commercial pectin and soursop pectin.

CONCLUSION

Under the optimum conditions, the numerical predictions were similar to the experimental data obtained, thus confirming the validity of the models. Application of enzyme treatment caused the breakdown of pectin structure as illustrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and FTIR analyses.

Rapid Quantification and Validation of Biomarker Scopoletin in Paederia foetida by qNMR and UV-Vis for Herbal Preparation

Scopoletin has previously been reported as a biomarker for the standardization of Paederia foetida twigs. This study is the first report on the determination and quantification of scopoletin using quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR) in the different extracts of Paederia foetida twigs. The validated qNMR method showed a good linearity (r² = 0.9999), limit of detection (LOD) (0.009 mg/mL), and quantification (LOQ) (0.029 mg/mL), together with high stability (relative standard deviation (RSD) = 0.022%), high precision (RSD < 1%), and good recovery (94.08–108.45%). The quantification results of scopoletin concentration in chloroform extract using qNMR and microplate ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrophotometer was almost comparable. Therefore, the qNMR method is deemed accurate and reliable for quality control of Paederia foetida and other medicinal plants without extensive sample preparation.

MASS SPECTROMETRY FOR A HOLISTIC VIEW OF NATURAL EXTRACTS OF PHYTOTHERAPEUTIC INTEREST

In the study of natural products new strategies which favor a holistic approach, integrating the traditional reductionist methods usually employed, have been proposed. In this frame, the studies carried out by us in the last decade show that fingerprints, mainly obtained by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), lead to the characterization of natural extracts from different botanical species but also of phytotherapeutic products constituted by mixtures of extracts from different plants. Laser desorption ionization and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization techniques were also employed and by the use of different matrices some complementary results were achieved. Results obtained by standard spectrophotometric and liquid chromatography methods were compared with those achieved by direct infusion of the extract in ESI-MS conditions, indicating an excellent agreement between the two approaches. The findings of these researches were considered in the frame of complex systems theory, investigating how relationships between a system's parts can give rise to its collective behaviors and how the system interacts and forms relationships with its environment. In this view, the peculiar pharmacological behavior of biologically active natural compounds can be justified by the occurrence of molecular interactions due to the high complexity of the natural matrix. Some of these interactions have been widely studied in the case of green tea extracts (GTEs) proving unequivocally the presence of caffeine/catechin complexes in GTE samples. The presence of bimolecular complexes has been observed also in the case of Ceylon tea and Mate extracts. These data indicate that the formation of complexes in natural extracts is a common behavior and their presence must be considered in the description of natural extracts and, consequently, in their biological activity. ©2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Mass Spec Rev.

A novel botanical formula improves eye fatigue and dry eye: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

BACKGROUND

With the frequent use of video display units, eye fatigue is becoming more common globally. An alternative nutritional strategy is needed to prevent the aggravation of eye fatigue symptoms.

OBJECTIVES

The objective was to evaluate the protective effect of a novel botanical combination of lutein ester, zeaxanthin, and extracts of blackcurrant, chrysanthemum, and goji berry on adults with eye fatigue in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

METHODS

We randomly allocated 360 participants into 4 groups to receive placebo and 3 doses of our formula (chewable tablets, containing 6 mg, 10 mg, or 14 mg of lutein) once daily for 90 d. Each participant had 3 visits at baseline (V1), 45 d (V2), and 90 d (V3) during the study.

RESULTS

Intervention with the formula improved individual scores of eye fatigue symptoms, including eye soreness, blurred vision, dry eye, foreign body sensation, and tearing. Compared with placebo, the formula at all 3 doses significantly decreased the total score of eye fatigue symptoms and increased the visuognosis persistence time at both V2 and V3. According to the Schirmer test, both 10-mg and 14-mg lutein formula groups had improved tear secretion at V3 compared with the placebo. The keratography results indicated that the first tear break-up time, average tear break-up time, and tear meniscus height were significantly increased after formula intervention. The formula at all 3 doses significantly increased the macular pigment optical density at V2 and V3 compared with the placebo, whereas optical coherence tomography showed no significant difference in retinal thickness and retinal volume across all groups at both visits.

CONCLUSIONS

Our botanical formula improves eye fatigue, dry eye, and macular function without changing the retinal structure, and thus it could serve as an effective nutritional strategy in improving eye fatigue without causing serious side effects.Clinical Trial Registry: chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR1800018987).

Direct and Fast Screening of New Psychoactive Substances Using Medical Swabs and Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe Triple Quadrupole with Data-Dependent Acquisition

New psychoactive substances (NPS) have become a serious public health problem, as they are continuously changing their structures and modifying their potency and effects on humans, and therefore, novel compounds are unceasingly appearing. One of the major challenges in forensic analysis, particularly related to the problem of NPS, is the development of fast screening methodologies that allow the detection of a wide variety of compounds in a single analysis. In this study, a novel application of the atmospheric solids analysis probe (ASAP) using medical swabs has been developed. The swab-ASAP was coupled to a triple quadrupole mass analyzer working under a data-dependent acquisition mode in order to perform a suspect screening of NPS in different types of samples as well as on surfaces. The compounds were automatically identified based on the observed fragmentation spectra using an in-house built MS/MS spectra library. The developed methodology was applied for the identification of psychoactive substances in research chemicals and herbal blends. The sensitivity of the method, as well as its applicability for surface analysis, was also assessed by identifying down to 1 μg of compound impregnated onto a laboratory table. Another remarkable application was the identification of cathinones and synthetic cannabinoids on the fingers of potential consumers. Interestingly, our data showed that NPS could be identified on the fingers after being in contact with the product and even after cleaning their hands by shaking off with a cloth. The methodology proposed in this paper can be applied for routine analyses of NPS in different matrix samples without the need to establish a list of target compounds prior to analysis.

The analysis of commercially available natural products recommended for use in electronic cigarettes

RATIONALE

Natural plant products have been used to promote health, prevent sickness, and treat various ailments. These products often consist of leaves, flowers, bark, roots, seeds, and/or other parts of the plant. Many of the pharmacologically active constituents of these products are known, but the pharmacology of these constituents may not be fully elucidated. Natural plant-based products are also available in various forms other than the raw plant material. A wide array of commercial products such as capsules, powders, extracts, and electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) electronic liquids (e-liquids) are readily available and can be purchased from various outlets, both store-based retailers and online. Newer e-cigarettes are often advertised as "heat not burn" and are used for "vaping" various forms of extracts including "waxes" and "dabs" and raw plant material.

METHODS

A single manufacturer was found online selling "24 different herbs" in powders, extracts, or e-liquids. These were advertised as "legal in the USA" and each product listed multiple effects. Eight e-liquids, six extracts (resins), and four powders from eight different "herbs," namely African dream, areca nut, blue lotus, damiana, kra thum na, kra thum kok, klip dagga, and wild lettuce, were purchased. An advertisement for these products stated, "Most people use the leaves, powder or resin in vaporizers." Direct analysis in real time AccuTOF™ mass spectrometry (DART-MS) was used to identify the psychoactive components in the natural products.

RESULTS

The psychoactive compounds that were identified in only two of the eight e-liquids, three of the five resins, and three of the four powders were arecaidine, arecoline, coumarin, entadamide, mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, and nuciferine.

CONCLUSIONS

Psychoactive and potentially harmful substances were present in the powders and resins of the natural products. The newer types of e-cigarettes made for consuming natural products may increase their abuse potential.

Application of an in vitro digestion model to study the metabolic profile changes of an herbal extract combination by UHPLC-HRMS

BACKGROUND

STW 5 is a fixed herbal combination containing extracts from nine medicinal plants: bitter candytuft, greater celandine, garden angelica roots, lemon balm leaves, peppermint leaves, caraway fruits, licorice roots, chamomile flowers, and milk thistle fruit. STW 5 is a clinically proven treatment for functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome.

PURPOSE

Using a static in vitro method, we simulated oral, gastric, and small intestinal digestion and analyzed the metabolic profile changes by UHPLC-HRMS to determine the impact of oro-gastro-intestinal digestion on STW 5 constituents.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

STW 5 was incubated according to the InfoGest consensus method. Samples of each digestive phase were analyzed by UHPLC-HRMS in ESI positive and negative modes. After data processing, background subtraction, and normalization, the peak areas of detectable compounds were compared to untreated reference samples and recovery ratios were calculated to monitor the metabolic profile of STW 5 during simulated digestion.

RESULTS

Although the levels of some constituents were reduced, we did not observe complete degradation of any of the constituents of STW 5 upon in vitro digestion. We did not detect any new metabolites beyond increased levels of caffeic acid and liquiritigenin due to degradation of progenitor compounds. Changes observed in intestinal bioaccessibility ratios were mainly a result of isomerization, hydrolysis, protein binding, and low water solubility.

CONCLUSION

The majority of STW 5 constituents are stable towards simulated in vitro digestion and can reach the colon to interact with gut microbiota if they remain unabsorbed in the upper intestinal tract.

Investigation of Chocolate Matrix Interference on Cannabinoid Analytes

The first known findings of chocolate matrix interference on cannabinoid analytes is reported. Stock solutions of four biogenic cannabinoids (Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, cannabinol, and cannabigerol) and one synthetic cannabinoid (cannabidiol dimethyl ether) are subjected to milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and cocoa powder. A clear trend of matrix interference is observed, which correlates to several chemical factors. The amount of chocolate present is directly proportional to the degree of matrix interference, which yields lower percent recovery rates for the cannabinoid analyte. Structural features on the cannabinoid analytes are shown to affect matrix interference, because cannabinoids with fewer phenolic -OH groups suffer from increased signal suppression. Additionally, aromatization of the p-menthyl moiety appears to correlate with enhanced matrix effects from chocolate products high in cocoa solids. These findings represent the first known documentation of chocolate matrix interference in cannabinoid analysis, which potentially has broad implications for complex matrix testing in the legal Cannabis industry.

Development and Validation of a UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS Method for Quantification of Oleandrin and Other Cardiac Glycosides and Evaluation of Their Levels in Herbs and Spices from the Belgian Market

Cardiac glycosides (CGs) are naturally occurring plant secondary metabolites that can be toxic to humans and animals. The aim of this work was to develop a targeted analytical method utilizing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for quantification of these plant toxins in a herbal-based food and human urine. The method included oleandrin, digoxin, digitoxin, convallatoxin, and ouabain. Samples of culinary herbs were extracted with acetonitrile and cleaned using Oasis® MAX solid-phase extraction (SPE), while samples of urine were diluted with acidified water and purified on Oasis® HLB SPE cartridges. Limits of quantification were in the range of 1.5-15 ng/g for herbs and 0.025-1 ng/mL for urine. The mean recovery of the method complied with the acceptable range of 70-120% for most CGs, and relative standard deviations were at maximum 14% and 19% for repeatability and reproducibility, respectively. Method linearity was good with calculated R² values above 0.997. The expanded measurement uncertainty was estimated to be in the range of 7-37%. The LC-MS/MS method was used to examine 65 samples of culinary herbs and herb and spice mixtures collected in Belgium, from supermarkets and local stores. The samples were found to be free from the analyzed CGs.

Patterns and reasons for kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) use among current and former opioid poly-drug users

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a native medicinal plant of Southeast Asia widely reported to be used to reduce opioid dependence and mitigate withdrawal symptoms. There is also evidence to suggest that opioid poly-drug users were using kratom to abstain from opioids.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To determine the patterns and reasons for kratom use among current and former opioid poly-drug users in Malaysia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 204 opioid poly-drug users (142 current users vs. 62 former users) with current kratom use history were enrolled into this cross-sectional study. A validated UPLC-MS/MS method was used to evaluate the alkaloid content of a kratom street sample.

RESULTS

Results from Chi-square analysis showed that there were no significant differences in demographic characteristics between current and former opioid poly-drug users except with respect to marital status. Current users had higher odds of being single (OR: 2.2: 95%CI: 1.21-4.11; p < 0.009). Similarly, there were no significant differences in the duration (OR: 1.1: 0.62-2.03; p < 0.708), daily quantity (OR: 1.5: 0.85-2.82; p < 0.154) or frequency of kratom use between current and former opioid poly-drug users (OR: 1.1: 0.62-2.06; p < 0.680). While both current and former opioid users reported using kratom to ameliorate opioid withdrawal, current users had significantly higher likelihood of using kratom for that purpose (OR: 5.4: 95%CI: 2.81-10.18; p < 0.0001). In contrast, former opioid users were more likely to be using kratom for its euphoric (mood elevating) effects (OR: 1.9: 95%CI: 1.04-3.50; p < 0.035). Results from the UPLC-MS/MS analysis indicated the major alkaloids present in the representative kratom street sample (of approximately 300 mL of brewed kratom) were mitragynine, followed by paynantheine, speciociliatine and speciogynine, as well as low levels of 7-hydroxymitragynine.

CONCLUSIONS

Both current and former opioid poly-drug users regularly used kratom (three glasses or about 900 mL daily or the equivalent of 170.19 mg of mitragynine) to overcome opioid poly-drug use problems.

Assessment of lead and cadmium in fifty-four Indian herbal medicine: tribal and marketed varieties

The objective of this study was to assess the toxic metal content in herbal medicines being used by Indian people. Trace elements, lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd), in fifty-four herbal medicines (marketed and tribal varieties) of India were estimated, and the potential health risks were characterized by estimating the tolerable daily intake (TDI) and the total hazard quotient (THQ) associated with their consumption. A total of 12% of the marketed varieties had Pb above WHO permissible limits of 10 mg Pb/kg. In tribal varieties, none of the samples exceeded this limit. In contrast, all the marketed varieties and 17% of the tribal varieties exceeded WHO limit of 0.3 mg Cd/kg. Consumption of ~ 0.01 kg of herbal medicine per day contributed almost 20-28% of TDI of Pb and Cd for marketed varieties and < 10% for tribal varieties. Although the consumption of the Indian herbal medicine, especially the tribal varieties, posed no immediate concern as the average THQ was less than 1, 24% of the marketed varieties had a higher metal burden and could pose threat on long-term use. Our findings advocate the use of tribal medicines for therapeutic purposes owing to a relatively lesser metal burden than the marketed varieties. However, for the marketed varieties, appropriate standardization in terms of effective quality control and consistency is needed to ensure the health of the consumers.

[Analysis and health risk assessment of aflatoxin B_1 residue in Ziziphi Spinosae Semen]

This study aimed to analyze the residues of aflatoxin B_1( AFB_1) in Ziziphi Spinosae Semen from different producing areas and to assess the health risk of aflatoxin B_1 residue based on the obtained data. A total of 72 samples of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen from different areas were detected by IAC-HPLC-FLD. Based on the data of AFB_1 pollution,a probabilistic assessment model with Monte Carlo simulation was developed. Then,the risk assessment of AFB_1 exposure by Ziziphi Spinosae Semen intake was carried out by MOE( margin of exposure). The results showed that 32 out of 72 of samples( 44. 4%) were found to be contaminated with AFB_1,and the average and maximum concentration of AFB_1 in samples was 5. 42 μg·kg~(-1) and 55. 09 μg·kg~(-1),respectively. After health risk assessment,the average and 97. 5%( 90% confidence interval) exposure level of daily exposure of AFB_1 by Ziziphi Spinosae Semen intake were 0. 008 6( 0. 008 1-0. 009 2) and 0. 057 3( 0. 053 2-0. 061 4) μg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1),respectively. The results showed common use of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen had low level of risk associated with AFB_1. However,the high consumption of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen showed a higher risk than common intake,requiring attention. This study laid a foundation for clinical safe prescription of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen.

Application of quadrupole-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry in rapid screening and identification of synthetic dyes in herbal medicines

In this work, a method combining ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS) was developed and validated for use in the simultaneous screening, identification, and quantification of 21 synthetic dyes in herbal medicines. To optimize the chromatographic conditions, we used a combined Full mass scan and data-dependent MS/MS (Full MS/dd-MS²) approach in positive and negative ion mode. Under this mode, selected ions with given fragmentation energy were subjected to a dd-MS² scan following a Full MS scan. The selectivity of this method was effectively improved using 70,000 full width at half maximum mass resolution and narrow mass window (typically 5 ppm), and a single injection was sufficient for simultaneous identification and quantification of 21 synthetic dyes within 10 min. The combined method was fully validated and complies with all criteria for selectivity, sensitivity, calibration curve linearity, accuracy, precision, recovery, matrix effect, and stability. All analytes showed excellent linear relationships as all the coefficients of determination (r²) are greater than 0.9978 over wide ranges of concentrations (e.g. 1.0-500 ng/mL for sunset yellow). The validated method was employed to detect synthetic dyes in herbal medicines and was demonstrated to provide a reliable technical basis for drug regulation and public health protection.

Exploring the Application of the DSA-TOF, a Direct, High-resolution Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Technique for the Screening of Potential Adulterated and Contaminated Herbal Medicines

Global consumption of complementary and alternative medicines, including herbal medicines, has increased substantially, and recent reports of adulteration demonstrate the need for high throughput and extensive pharmacovigilance to ensure product safety and quality. Three different standard reference materials and five previously analyzed herbal medicines have been used as a proof of concept for the application of adulteration/contamination screening using a Direct Sample Analysis (DSA) ion source with TOF MS on the Perkin Elmer AxION 2 TOF. This technique offers the advantages of minimum sample preparation, rapid analysis, and mass accuracies of 5 ppm. The DSA TOF analysis correlates well with the previous analysis on the initial sample set (which found undeclared herbal ingredients), with the added advantage of detecting previously untargeted compounds, including species-specific flavonoids and alkaloids. The rapid analysis using the DSA-TOF facilitates screening for hundreds of compounds in minutes with minimal sample preparation, generating a comprehensive profile for each sample. Graphical Abstract.

Herb-Induced Liver Injury: Phylogenetic Relationship, Structure-Toxicity Relationship, and Herb-Ingredient Network Analysis

Currently, hundreds of herbal products with potential hepatotoxicity were available in the literature. A comprehensive summary and analysis focused on these potential hepatotoxic herbal products may assist in understanding herb-induced liver injury (HILI). In this work, we collected 335 hepatotoxic medicinal plants, 296 hepatotoxic ingredients, and 584 hepatoprotective ingredients through a systematic literature retrieval. Then we analyzed these data from the perspectives of phylogenetic relationship and structure-toxicity relationship. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that hepatotoxic medicinal plants tended to have a closer taxonomic relationship. By investigating the structures of the hepatotoxic ingredients, we found that alkaloids and terpenoids were the two major groups of hepatotoxicity. We also identified eight major skeletons of hepatotoxicity and reviewed their hepatotoxic mechanisms. Additionally, 15 structural alerts (SAs) for hepatotoxicity were identified based on SARpy software. These SAs will help to estimate the hepatotoxic risk of ingredients from herbs. Finally, a herb-ingredient network was constructed by integrating multiple datasets, which will assist to identify the hepatotoxic ingredients of herb/herb-formula quickly. In summary, a systemic analysis focused on HILI was conducted which will not only assist to identify the toxic molecular basis of hepatotoxic herbs but also contribute to decipher the mechanisms of HILI.

Chemical Barcoding: A Nuclear-Magnetic-Resonance-Based Approach To Ensure the Quality and Safety of Natural Ingredients

One of the greatest challenges facing the functional food and natural health product (NHP) industries is sourcing high-quality, functional, natural ingredients for their finished products. Unfortunately, the lack of ingredient standards, modernized analytical methodologies, and industry oversight creates the potential for low quality and, in some cases, deliberate adulteration of ingredients. By exploring a diverse library of NHPs provided by the independent certification organization ISURA, we demonstrated that nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy provides an innovative solution to authenticate botanicals and warrant the quality and safety of processed foods and manufactured functional ingredients. Two-dimensional NMR experiments were shown to be a robust and reproducible approach to capture the content of complex chemical mixtures, while a binary normalization step allows for emphasizing the chemical diversity in each sample, and unsupervised statistical methodologies provide key advantages to classify, authenticate, and highlight the potential presence of additives and adulterants.

Development and Validation of a High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatographic (HPTLC) Method for Simultaneous Quantification of Reserpine, Atropine, and Piperine in Sarpagandha Ghanvati, a Classical Ayurvedic Preparation

Background: Anxiety disorders are the most common of emotional disorders, affecting more than 20 million people annually. Sarpagandha Ghanvati is a classical Ayurvedic polyherbal formulation prescribed in conditions of insomnia, hysteria, and is used as an anxiolytic agent. Standardization and quality control are the two major issues that need to be addressed for herbal formulations, especially those containing multiple herbal ingredients. Objective: An HPTLC method was developed for the simultaneous quantification of reserpine, atropine, and piperine from Sarpagandha Ghanvati containing Rauwolfia serpentine (root), Hyoscyamus niger (seed), and Piper longum (root and stem). Methods: The marker compounds were effectively resolved on a silica gel G TLC plate using toluene-ethyl acetate-diethyl amine (7+2+1, v/v) as the mobile phase. The detected wavelengths for reserpine, atropine, and piperine were 269, 220, and 254 nm, respectively. The method was validated as per the International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. Results: R. serpentine roots contained 0.82% w/w of reserpine. Atropine content in the seeds of H. niger was found to be 0.004% w/w, whereas P. longum roots were found to contain 0.508% of piperine. The method was found to be accurate, which was evident from 98.93, 99.46, and 99.10% recovery of reserpine, atropine, and piperine, respectively, when the respective herbs were spiked with them. By the developed HPTLC method, 1.0 g of Sarpagandha Ghanvati was found to contain 4.94, 0.049, and 0.318 mg of reserpine, atropine, and piperine, respectively. The recoveries of these three markers from the formulation were found to be 90.32, 92.45, and 89.97%, respectively. Conclusions: The developed method can be successfully used for simultaneous estimation of these marker compounds and for the quality control of the classical Ayurvedic formulation Sarpagandha Ghanvati. Highlights: This works describes effects of extraction solvents on the quantities of marker compounds in the formulations. It also suggests a simple and reliable HPTLC method for simultaneous quantification of three different marker compounds from a poly-herbal formulation.

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) as a Tool for Standardization of Complex Herbal Drugs

Background: Herbal formulations have reached tremendous acceptability as therapeutic agents for several diseases mainly due to the indiscriminate use of modern medicine such as antibiotics, steroids and other synthetic drugs. The increasing popularity in plant-based drugs is leading to a fast growing market for plant-based drugs pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, functional foods, and even cosmeceuticals. Objective: The development of authentic analytical methods for complex herbal drugs, especially poly herbal formulations which can reliably profile the phytochemical composition, including quantitative analyses of marker/bioactive compounds and other major constituents, is a major challenge to scientists. Standardization is an important step for the establishment of a consistent biological activity, a consistent chemical profile, or simply a quality assurance program for production and manufacturing of herbal drugs. Methods/Results: HPLC as a tool has been widely used in the standardization of complex herbal drugs because of its ability to estimate the presence of active (chemical or biological) markers both qualitatively and quantitatively. Conclusions: An overview of various HPLC techniques that can be used for standardization of herbal drugs has been presented.

Development and Validation of Analytical Method for Simultaneous Estimation of Active Constituents in a Polyherbal Ointment by Gas Chromatography

Background: The simultaneous, quantitative determination of all active ingredients present in the analgesic formulation (Dazzle ointment) requires an ideal and novel method by which these phytoconstituents can be separated with the highest resolution without any interference from one another. Objective: The present work was conducted to develop and validate a quantitative method for the simultaneous estimation of all five phytoconstituents present in a polyherbal analgesic ointment by GC. Methods: α-Pinene, 1,8-cineole, camphor, menthol, and methyl salicylate present in the ingredients of the ointment were analyzed and quantified by GC using a crosslinked 5% phenyl polydimethylsiloxane capillary column, nitrogen as a carrier gas, and a flame-ionization detector. Aniline was used as the internal standard. Method validation was also performed in order to demonstrate its selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, LOD, LOQ, and robustness. Results: The calibration curves of all five marker compounds showed good linear correlation coefficients (r² >0.998) within the tested ranges. The precision of the method was tested by carrying out intra- and interday analyses of the same sample. RSD values were observed to be <1.00%. The accuracy of the method, determined by performing recovery studies, was found to be between 99.25 and 101.39%. The developed method was also demonstrated to be robust (RSD <1.29%) by making small but deliberate variations in method parameters. Conclusions: The developed GC method is simple, precise, and accurate, it and can be used for the rapid quality control testing of the polyherbal formulation. Highlights: The developed GC method will assist in the standardization of polyherbal analgesic formulation consists of α-pinene, 1,8-cineole, camphor, menthol, and methyl salicylate as active constituents.

The plant-based by-product diets for the mass-rearing of Acheta domesticus and Gryllus bimaculatus

Edible insect rearing could provide one alternative for protein production by having a smaller environmental impact than traditional livestock farming due to insects' ability to convert organic side streams. Currently, the insect rearing industry utilizes soybeans as a major source of protein in the feeds. Protein-rich by-products of food industry could be used to replace them in insect feeds, but it is not known if they also meet the insects' nutritional requirements. Our study evaluated the growth performance of two widely used edible cricket species, Acheta domesticus and Gryllus bimaculatus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae), on 18 experimental diets. The experimental diets included commercial chicken feeds and cricket diets, where soybean was partly and completely replaced with by-products from food industry: potato protein, barley mash, barley feed, compressed leftover of turnip rape and mix of broad bean and pea on three levels of protein. We found that the high- and medium-protein turnip rape and barley mash diets produced the highest yield and an increase in all performance variables. Overall, the high- and medium-protein diets produced the highest yield, growth and fastest development. Our results showed that by-products of food industry could be utilized as a part of the cricket feeds and thus advance the goals of circular economy.

Identifying Challenges and Risks Associated with the Analysis of Major Mycotoxins in Feed and Botanicals

Changing weather conditions have heightened the risk of growth of mycotoxigenic molds on crops and various agricultural commodities. Mycotoxins, which are linked to carcinogenic and nephrotoxic effects in animals and humans, have been traditionally analyzed by immunoassays, gas, and LC techniques with spectrophotometric detectors. This review discusses the current techniques and challenges in commercial settings associated with the analysis of mycotoxins in unique matrices such as animal feeds, herbal products, and dietary supplements containing botanicals. Because of the advantages and growing acceptance of LC-tandem MS (MS/MS) over traditional approaches, discussion is mainly based on LC-MS/MS-based approaches. Considering the impact of sample preparation on accuracy of quantitative results, discussion about pros and cons of recently introduced sample preparation techniques is integrated with analytical methods. A section of the review explains the importance and availability of reference materials for mycotoxins. The present discussion provides good insight into the current challenges and developments during mycotoxin analysis of feed and botanicals and addresses the need for researchers in terms of an official MS-based method.

Recommendations for Validation of Real-Time PCR Methods for Molecular Diagnostic Identification of Botanicals

Background: PCR methods are the most commonly used DNA-based identity tool in the commercial food, beverage, and natural health product markets. These methods are routinely used to identify foodborne pathogens and allergens in food. Proper validation methods for some sectors have been established, while there are none in other markets, such as botanicals. Results: A survey of the literature indicates that some validation criteria are not addressed when developing PCR tests for botanicals. Objective: We provide recommendations for qualitative real-time PCR methods for validating identity tests for botanical ingredients. Methods: These include common criteria that underpin the development and validation of rigorous tests, including (1) the aim of the validation test, (2) the applicability of different matrix variants, (3) specificity in identifying the target species ingredient, (4) sensitivity in detecting the smallest amount of the target material, (5) repeatability of methods, (6) reproducibility in detecting the target species in both raw and processed materials, (7) practicability of the test in a commercial laboratory, and (8) comparison with alternative methods. In addition, we recommend additional criteria, according to which the practicability of the test method is evaluated by transferring the method to a second laboratory and by comparison with alternative methods. Conclusions and Highlights: We hope that these recommendations encourage further publication on the validation of PCR methods for many botanical ingredients. These properly validated PCR methods can be developed on small, real-time biotechnology that can be placed directly into the supply chain ledger in support of highly transparent data systems that support QC from the farm to the fork of the consumer.

Microbiological safety of areca nut-containing, ready-to-eat chewing substances common among Pakistani paediatric population: A pilot study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate microbiological contamination of areca nut-containing, ready-to-eat chewing substances easily accessible to vulnerable paediatric population.

METHODS

A pilot study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Medical College from June to October 2016 on twelve samples of areca nut-containing chewing substances (four supari, paan masala and gutka each) collected from various localities of Karachi. These were evaluated individually for total colony counts, hygiene indicator organisms, pathogenic organisms, and levels of aflatoxin. Microbial contamination was analysed using pour-plate method. Fungal aflatoxin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)..

RESULTS

Wet gutka preparations were contaminated by Escherichia coli and Enterobacteriacaea. High levels of fungal aflatoxin (range: 0.43-1.84 mg/kg), a proven carcinogen, were identified in all the 12(100%) products. No sample contained pathogenic bacteria. However, 1(8.33%) sample did not meet hygiene criteria cut-off.

CONCLUSIONS

Habitual use of unhygienic chewing substances containing fungal toxins is a public health concern that needs to be addressed through a preventative, behaviour-changing strategy..

Development and Validation of Stability Indicating High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatographic (HPTLC) Method for Quantification of Asiaticoside from Centella asiatica L. and its Marketed Formulation

Background: Ayurvedic medicines help in healing disease with fewer undesirable effects in comparison with an allopathic system of medicine to treat central nervous system (CNS) disorders, as the latter is more expensive. Centella asiatica L. is often used in Ayurvedic formulations for the treatment of CNS disorders. Objective: A stability test using an HPTLC method for the estimation of an important marker asiaticoside (ASI) from C. asiatica powder and marketed formulation was developed. Methods: The marker compound ASI from plant powders and marketed formulations were resolved using toluene-ethyl acetate-methanol-glacial acetic acid (2+7+3+1, v/v/v/v) as the mobile phase and then was derivatized. The plant powder and marketed formulation were also subjected to stability studies. Results: The R_f value of ASI was found in range of 0.43-0.47 for the standard ASI, plant powder, and marketed formulation. It was found that the plant powder and formulation exhibited first-order degradation kinetics. Conclusions: The contents of ASI in the formulation (Churna) and its flow characters reduced at the end of the 6 months during an accelerated stability study. The developed method can be used to quantify ASI in the presence of its degradation products. Highlights: The developed method helps in determining batch to batch variation in the content of ASI in herbal formulations.

Metal Contents in the Most Widely Consumed Commercial Preparations of Four Different Medicinal Plants (Aloe, Senna, Ginseng, and Ginkgo) from Europe

Medicinal plants like Aloe barbadensis, Ginkgo biloba, Panax ginseng, and Cassia angustifolia are being increasingly used but self-medication is a major public health challenge because of their numerous interactions. Furthermore, dietary exposure to metals through the consumption of these commercial preparations should be evaluated. Some of these metals may have a nutritional interest but others are metals of toxicological relevance. The content of essential and toxic metals has been analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) in 80 samples of both organically and conventionally grown aloe, senna, ginseng, and ginkgo pharmaceutical formats to establish their metallic profile, to evaluate their nutritional value and to assess the toxic metal risk resulting from their consumption. Ca (9181 mg/kg ww) in senna, Fe (30.0 mg/kg ww) in ginseng, and Al (15.7 mg/kg ww) in ginseng are noteworthy. The consumption of 9 g/day of ginkgo represents 6.44% of the RDI set for Ca. The consumption of 25 mL/day of aloe syrup is 3.06% (men) and 1.52% (women) of the RDI of Fe. Al exposure from 25 mL/day of aloe consumption is 2.71% of its TDI. Considering the dosages recommended by the manufacturers, the intake of toxic metals does not pose a health risk but the intake of essential metals is worth mentioning.

Analysis of the Fungal Community in Ziziphi Spinosae Semen through High-Throughput Sequencing

Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (ZSS) has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine system for decades. Under proper humidity and temperature, ZSS is easily contaminated by fungi and mycotoxins during harvest, storage, and transport, thereby posing a considerable threat to consumer health. In this study, we first used the Illumina MiSeq PE250 platform and targeted the internal transcribed spacer 2 sequences to investigate the presence of fungi in moldy and normal ZSS samples collected from five producing areas in China. Results showed that all 14 samples tested were contaminated by fungi. Ascomycota was the dominant fungus at the phylum level, accounting for 64.36⁻99.74% of the fungal reads. At the genus level, Aspergillus, Candida, and Wallemia were the most predominant genera, with the relative abundances of 13.52⁻87.87%, 0.42⁻64.56%, and 0.06⁻34.31%, respectively. Meanwhile, 70 fungal taxa were identified at the species level. Among these taxa, three potential mycotoxin-producing fungi, namely, Aspergillusflavus, A. fumigatus, and Penicillium citrinum that account for 0.30⁻36.29%, 0.04⁻7.37%, and 0.01⁻0.80% of the fungal reads, respectively, were detected in all ZSS samples. Moreover, significant differences in fungal communities were observed in the moldy and normal ZSS samples. In conclusion, our results indicated that amplicon sequencing is feasible for the detection and analysis of the fungal community in the ZSS samples. This study used a new approach to survey the fungal contamination in herbal materials. This new approach can provide early warning for mycotoxin contamination in herbal materials, thereby ensuring drug efficacy and safety.

Euphorbia kansui fry-baked with vinegar modulates gut microbiota and reduces intestinal toxicity in rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Euphorbia kansui (EK), a kind of toxic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is used in the treatment of edema, ascites and asthma. EK fry-baked with vinegar (VEK) is regularly used to reduce the toxicity in TCM. Previous studies have confirmed that fry-baking with vinegar could significantly reduce the significant gastrointestinal toxicity of EK. The toxic side-effects of EK are closely associated with intestinal tract, but existing research results could not provide practical measures for detoxification in terms of the biological effects of EK fry-baked with vinegar.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to investigate the gastrointestinal toxicity of EK and detoxification of VEK through the regulation of gut microbiota. Thirty male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided equally into 3 groups and received by oral gavage 0.5% CMC-Na (C group), EK (EKC group) or VEK (VEKC group) powder at 680 mg/kg for seven consecutive days.

RESULTS

The ten toxic components in VEK were reduced significantly compared with those in EK. After fry-baked with vinegar, those side effects associated with VEK were significantly relieved in terms of histopathology and inflammatory injury indices of intestinal tissues, liver function and oxidative damage indices. The toxicity of EK might be highly correlated with Lactobacillus and Blautia genera. In addition, EK fry-baked with vinegar increased the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are regulated by gut microbiota.

CONCLUSIONS

The proportion of main probiotics increased and potentially pathogenic bacteria decreased after EK was fry-baked with vinegar. It turned out that effective detoxification could be achieved by fry-baking with vinegar.

The traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz.: A review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. (called Baizhu in China) is a medicinal plant that has long been used as a tonic agent in various ethno-medical systems in East Asia, especially in China, for the treatment of gastrointestinal dysfunction, cancer, osteoporosis, obesity, and fetal irritability.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

This review aims to provide a systematic summary on the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology of A. macrocephala to explore the future therapeutic potential and scientific potential of this plant.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A literature search was performed on A. macrocephala using scientific databases including Web of Science, Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, Springer, PubMed, SciFinder, and ScienceDirect. Information was also collected from classic books of Chinese herbal medicine, Ph.D. and M.Sc. dissertations, unpublished materials, and local conference papers on toxicology. Plant taxonomy was confirmed to the database "The Plant List" (www.theplantlist.org).

RESULTS

More than 79 chemical compounds have been isolated from A. macrocephala, including sesquiterpenoids, triterpenoids, polyacetylenes, coumarins, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides, steroids, benzoquinones, and polysaccharides. Crude extracts and pure compounds of A. macrocephala are used to treat gastrointestinal hypofunction, cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, splenic asthenia, abnormal fetal movement, Alzheimer disease, and obesity. These extracts have various pharmacological effects, including anti-tumor activity, anti-inflammatory activity, anti-aging activity, anti-oxidative activity, anti-osteoporotic activity, neuroprotective activity, and immunomodulatory activity, as well as improving gastrointestinal function and gonadal hormone regulation.

CONCLUSIONS

A. macrocephala is a valuable traditional Chinese medicinal herb with multiple pharmacological activities. Pharmacological investigations support the traditional use of A. macrocephala, and may validate the folk medicinal use of A. macrocephala to treat many chronic diseases. The available literature shows that much of the activity of A. macrocephala can be attributed to sesquiterpenoids, polysaccharides and polyacetylenes. However, there is a need to further understand the molecular mechanisms and the structure-function relationship of these constituents, as well as their potential synergistic and antagonistic effects. Further research on the comprehensive evaluation of medicinal quality, the understanding of multi-target network pharmacology of A. macrocephala, as well as its long-term in vivo toxicity and clinical efficacy is recommended.

Ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Chinese Salvia species: A review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The genus Salvia is one of the largest genera of the Lamiaceae family. In China, about 40 Salvia species have been used as medicinal plants for treatment of various diseases, specifically hepatic and renal diseases and those of the cardiovascular and immune systems.

AIM OF THIS REVIEW

This review aims to provide systematically organized information on the ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of medicinal Salvia species in China to support their therapeutic potential in the treatment of human diseases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Relevant information on the Chinese Salvia species was obtained from scientific online databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and SciFinder. Additional information was derived from other literature sources (e.g. Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2015 edition, Chinese herbal classic books, PhD and MSc thesis, etc).

RESULTS

Our comprehensive analysis of the scientific literature indicates that many Chinese Salvia species are valuable and popular herbal medicines with therapeutic potentials to cure various ailments. Phytochemical analyses identified diterpenoids and phenolic acids as the major bioactive substances in Chinese Salvia species. Crude extracts and pure compounds isolated from the Chinese Salvia species exhibited various pharmacological activities, typically targeting the cardiovascular and immune systems and hepatic and renal diseases.

CONCLUSION

This review summarizes the results from current studies about basic properties of medicinal Salvia species in China, such as active constituents and their mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, underlying molecular mechanisms, toxicology, and efficacy, which are still being studied and explored to achieve integration into medical practice.

A review on the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Alpinia officinarum Hance

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Alpinia officinarum Hance is a perennial plant that has been traditionally used for many decades to treat several ailments including inflammation, pain, stomach-ache, cold, amongst others. Pharmacological studies over the years have demonstrated remarkable bioactivities that could be further explored for development of new therapeutic agents against various ailments.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The paper critically reviewed the ethno-medicinal uses, pharmacology, and phytochemistry of A. officinarum.

METHODS

Keywords including A. officinarum and its synonyms were searched using electronic databases including ISI web of knowledge, Science direct, Scopus, PubMed, Google scholar and relevant database for Masters and Doctoral theses.

RESULTS

A. officinarum is prepared in Asia, Turkey, Morocco and Iran as a decoction, infusion or juice as a single preparation or in combination with other herbs, food or drinks for the treatment of general health problems including cold, inflammation, digestive disorders, etc. Pharmacological studies revealed the potent in vitro and in vivo bioactivities of various parts of A. officinarum that include anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity, homeostasis, lipid regulation, antioxidant, antiviral, antimicrobial, antiosteoporosis, etc. Over 90 phytochemical constituents have been identified and isolated from A. officinarum comprising vastly of phenolic compounds especially diarylheptanoids isolated from the rhizome and considered the most active bioactive components.

CONCLUSION

In vitro and in vivo studies have confirmed the potency of A. officinarum. However, further studies are required to establish the mechanisms mediating its bioactivities in relation to the medicinal uses as well as investigating any potential toxicity for future clinical studies.

Nutraceutical Properties of Herbal Infusions from Six Native Plants of Argentine Patagonia

Six native plants of South America traditionally consumed in the Patagonian region (southern Argentina and Chile), namely: Adesmia boronioides Hook. f., Apium australe Thouars, Buddleja globosa Hope, Drimys andina (Reiche) R. Rodr. & Quezada, Dysphania multifida L. and Solidago chilensis Meyen were investigated to determine the nutraceutical properties of infusions of their aerial parts. The infusions were characterized in terms of their antioxidant activity, phenolic and flavonoid content, profile of phenolic compounds, general toxicity and cytotoxicity on two different human cell lines: T84 (derived from colon cancer) and HTR8/SVneo (not derived from cancer). Twenty-nine compounds, mainly phenolic acids and flavonoids, were identified. This is the first analysis of phenolic compounds in infusions from native plants of Patagonia. D. andina, B. globosa and S. chilensis showed high levels of antioxidants, even higher than those of Green Tea. The content of phenolic compounds correlated significantly with the antioxidant activity of the samples analyzed. The toxicity test indicated that the use of A. australe, B. globosa and D. multifida seems safe, but a moderate consumption is suggested for A. boronioides, D. andina and S. chilensis until more exhaustive and long-term results are available. Moreover, A. boronioides and S. chilensis showed anticancer potential due to their antiproliferative activity on human cancer cell lines.

Aloysia citrodora Paláu (Lemon verbena): A review of phytochemistry and pharmacology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Aloysia citrodora Paláu (Lippia citriodora Kunth), commonly known as "lemon verbena" is a medicinal plant native to South America, North Africa, and South of Europe which is used by native people for several indications such as diarrhea, flatulence, insomnia, and rheumatism.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

Despite the wide biological activities of lemon verbena, there is no current review summarizing medicinal properties of the plant; thus, this paper aims to discuss current state of the art regarding the phytochemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutic applications of A. citrodora considering in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Electronic databases including PubMed, Scifinder, Cochrane library, Scopus, and Science direct were searched with the scientific name of the plant and its synonyms, as well as the common name. All studies on the ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and clinical application of the plant until October 2017 were included in this review.

RESULTS

Despite the few number of studies on the ethnopharmacology of the plant, A. citrodora is widely assessed regarding its phytochemistry and biological activities. Neral and geranial are the main ingredients of the essential oil; whereas verbascoside is the most significant component of the extract. Biological activities such as antioxidant, anxiolytic, neuroprotective, anticancer, anesthetic, antimicrobial, and sedative effects are proved in cell cultures, as well as animal studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Several pharmacological activities have been reported for A. citrodora; however, the plant is not fully assessed regarding its safety and efficacy in human. Future well-designed human studies are essential to confirm the therapeutic benefits of this plant in clinical settings.

What's in the box? Authentication of Echinacea herbal products using DNA metabarcoding and HPTLC

BACKGROUND

Differences in regulatory policies between countries as well as a lack of appropriate standardized methods for the authentication and quality control of herbal products directly impact their quality and safety. Echinacea products are among the top-selling herbal products in Europe and the United States with indications for a broad range of ailments. The increased use of Echinacea species has led to concerns about adulterated products resulting from challenges in morphology-based identification, due to overlapping morphological variation, frequent hybridization between species, and deliberate adulteration.

PURPOSE

This study addressed the need for a novel analytical strategy in the authentication of herbal products.

METHODS

A combination of high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) and DNA metabarcoding was employed. Fifty-three Echinacea herbal products marketed across Europe were tested to evaluate the accuracy of these methods in plant identification and their potential for detecting substitutes, adulterants and other unreported plant constituents.

RESULTS

HPTLC provides high resolution in the detection of Echinacea phytochemical target compounds, but does not offer information on the other species within the product. Alternatively, we showed that the limitation of HPTLC in detecting non-targeted species can be overcome by the complementary use of DNA metabarcoding. Using DNA metabarcoding, Echinacea species were detected in 34 out of the 38 retained products (89%), but with a lack of discriminatory resolution at the species level due to the low level of molecular divergence within the Echinacea genus. All of the tested herbal products showed considerable discrepancies between ingredients listed on the label and the ones detected using DNA metabarcoding, registering an overall ingredient fidelity of only 43%.

CONCLUSION

The results confirm that DNA metabarcoding can be used to test for the presence of Echinacea species and simultaneously to detect other species present in even highly processed and multi-ingredient herbal products.

Comprehensive HPTLC Fingerprinting for Quality Control of an Herbal Drug - The Case of Angelica gigas Root

The quality of herbal drugs is usually controlled using several tests recommended in a monograph. HPTLC is the method of choice for identification in many pharmacopoeias. If combined with a suitable reference material for comparison, HPTLC can provide information beyond identification and thus may simplify quality control. This paper describes, as a proof of concept, how HPTLC can be applied to define specifications for an herbal reference material and to control the quality of an herbal drug according to these specifications. Based on multiple batches of cultivated Angelica gigas root, a specific HPTLC method for identification was optimized. This method can distinguish 27 related species. It also can detect the presence of mixtures of A. gigas with two other Angelica species traded as "Dang gui" and is suitable as well for quantitative assessment of samples in a test for minimum content of the sum of decursin and decursinol angelate. The new concept of "comprehensive HPTLC fingerprinting" is proposed: HPTLC fingerprints (images), which are used for identification, are converted into peak profiles and the intensities of selected zones are quantitatively compared to those of the corresponding zones of the reference material. Following a collaborative trial involving three laboratories in three countries, the method was applied to check the quality of further candidates for establishing an appropriate reference material. In conclusion, this case demonstrates that a single HPTLC analysis can provide information about identity, purity, and minimum content of markers of an herbal drug.

Quality Standards for Herbal Drugs and Herbal Drug Preparations - Appropriate or Improvements Necessary?

Standards for quality control as defined in the European Pharmacopoeia contribute significantly to a consistent and high quality of herbal drugs, herbal drug preparations, and herbal medicinal products. The minimum content of single plant constituents is considered of high relevance. Therefore, nearly all monographs on herbal drugs or herbal drug preparations contain an obligatory assay.However, a critical evaluation of the data published for such assayed constituents reveals that in most cases these constituents have to be considered as purely analytical markers without correlation to quality or efficacy. Examples where the assay does not meet its objective support the need to adapt current quality standards. Moreover, the trend to increase the content of certain constituents may lead to significant modifications to traditional manufacturing processes.In order to initiate a scientific discussion, the role of the assay in the context of quality requirements, quality documentation in the manufacturing process, safety, and efficacy is discussed and possible alternatives to the single marker assay are examined.

Validation of Chromatographic Methods of Analysis: Application for Drugs That Derived From Herbs

It is well known that the quality control (QC) of drugs derived from herbs (DDHs) has two main problems: first, DDHs are chemically complex mixtures, and second, the chemical contents of raw plant materials are affected by the site of cultivation, age of plants, methods of harvesting, and processing. QC is used by manufacturers to ensure the consistency, safety, and efficacy of the DDHs. QC of DDHs can be performed by two approaches, namely, marker-oriented and chemical pattern-oriented (metabolite profiling) using chromatographic methods. For having reliable results of any chemical analysis that will be performed in the QC laboratory, the method of analysis must be validated first before it can be routinely applied. Parameters of the validation method that should be evaluated for marker-oriented approach are stability, selectivity, linearity, trueness, precision, and robustness/ruggedness, while for metabolite profiling approach stability, intra- and interday precisions should be determined. Determination of instrumental and sample detection limit (DL), quantification limit (QL), and cutoff value is described in this review. Some relatively new validation methods that could correlate trueness and precision will be also discussed. The importance and application of metabolite profiling for a QC laboratory at pharmaceutical industry are discussed.

A Review of Current Methods for Analysis of Mycotoxins in Herbal Medicines

The presence of mycotoxins in herbal medicines is an established problem throughout the entire world. The sensitive and accurate analysis of mycotoxin in complicated matrices (e.g., herbs) typically involves challenging sample pretreatment procedures and an efficient detection instrument. However, although numerous reviews have been published regarding the occurrence of mycotoxins in herbal medicines, few of them provided a detailed summary of related analytical methods for mycotoxin determination. This review focuses on analytical techniques including sampling, extraction, cleanup, and detection for mycotoxin determination in herbal medicines established within the past ten years. Dedicated sections of this article address the significant developments in sample preparation, and highlight the importance of this procedure in the analytical technology. This review also summarizes conventional chromatographic techniques for mycotoxin qualification or quantitation, as well as recent studies regarding the development and application of screening assays such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, lateral flow immunoassays, aptamer-based lateral flow assays, and cytometric bead arrays. The present work provides a good insight regarding the advanced research that has been done and closes with an indication of future demand for the emerging technologies.

Identification of Salvia species using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with chemical pattern recognition analysis

Salvia miltiorrhiza, also known as Danshen, is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and hematological abnormalities. The root and rhizome of Salvia przewalskii and Salvia yunnanensis have been found as substitutes for Salvia miltiorrhiza in the market. In this study, the chemical information of 14 major compounds in Salvia miltiorrhiza and its substitutes were determined using a high-performance liquid chromatography method. Stepwise discriminant analysis was adopted to select the characteristic variables. Partial least squares discriminant and hierarchical cluster analysis were performed to classify Salvia miltiorrhiza and its substitutes. The results showed that all of the samples were correctly classified both in partial least squares discriminant analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis based on the four compounds (caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B, and salvianolic acid A). This method can not only distinguish Salvia miltiorrhiza and its substitutes, but also classify Salvia przewalskii and Salvia yunnanensis. The method can be applied for the quality assessment of Salvia miltiorrhiza and identification of unknown samples.

Findings on the heavy metal content in herbal drugs and essential oils - an update

In this contribution, data for 7 elemental impurities originating from quality control analysis of manufacturers of herbal products is evaluated in light of the current requirements of the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) and the European legislative framework. The data shows that the Ph. Eur. limits set for cadmium, lead and mercury in herbal drugs are in principle still appropriate. The probability of herbal drugs exceeding the limits for arsenic, cobalt, nickel and vanadium (based on the ICH Q3D guideline for elemental impurities) appears to be very low, and consequently, it is proposed that general limits for these elements in herbal drugs in the Ph. Eur. are not required. For essential oils, there does not appear to be a risk of heavy metal contamination and a general test on heavy metals is not considered necessary.

Heavy metals in contaminated environment: Destiny of secondary metabolite biosynthesis, oxidative status and phytoextraction in medicinal plants

Contamination of soils, water and air with toxic heavy metals by various human activities is a crucial environmental problem in both developing and developed countries. Heavy metals could be introduced into medicinal plant products through contaminated environment (soil, water and air resources) and/or poor production practices. Growing of medicinal plants in heavy metal polluted environments may eventually affect the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, causing significant changes in the quantity and quality of these compounds. Certain medicinal and aromatic plants can absorb and accumulate metal contaminants in the harvestable foliage and, therefore, considered to be a feasible alternative for remediation of polluted sites without any contamination of essential oils. Plants use different strategies and complex arrays of enzymatic and non-enzymatic anti-oxidative defense systems to cope with overproduction of ROS causes from the heavy metals entered their cells through foliar and/or root systems. This review summarizes the reports of recent investigations involving heavy metal accumulation by medicinal plants and its effects on elicitation of secondary metabolites, toxicity and detoxification pathways, international standards regarding in plants and plant-based products, and human health risk assessment of heavy metals in soil-medicinal plants systems.

Evaluation of Herbal Concoctions Sold at Ga Maja (Limpopo Province) in South Africa and In Vitro Pharmacological Evaluation of Plants Used to Manufacture the Concoctions

The aim of the study was to evaluate the biological activities and safety of commercial herbal concoctions manufactured in Ga Maja (Limpopo province). Microbial contamination was evaluated by spread-plating the concoctions on agar plates. The VITEK 2 instrument was used for identification of the pure cultures. Nutritional content of the concoctions was determined. Thin layer chromatography was used to analyze the chemical constituents of the extracts. The microdilution assay and bioautography were used to evaluate antimicrobial activity against selected microorganisms. Sodium, potassium, and zinc were elements most abundant in the concoctions. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of various phytoconstituents. Acetone extracts of Hypoxis hemerocallidea and Kirkia wilmsii extracts had antioxidant activity. The minimum inhibitory concentrations values against test bacteria ranged between 0.02 and 0.63 mg/mL. Further studies are required to isolate bioactive compounds and evaluate their cytotoxicity. Caution in the consumption of the herbal mixtures should be adhered to.