Iranian Journal of Toxicology
Volume:17 Issue: 3, Jul 2023

There is a rising trend in the use of herbal stem cell remedies among the populace due to the belief that such remedies have all-encompassing health benefits, and without side effects. However, there is little or no scientific data reported on their safety profile. This study addressed the toxicological effects of STC-30, one of the popular polyherbal stem cell remedies used in several countries of the world including Nigeria, Ghana, Australia, among others.

The acute toxicity test was carried out using Up and Down Procedure. For the sub-acute toxicity test, a total of 28 animals were used in four groups of seven each. The groups consisted of control, low dose (77.5 mg/kg), medium dose (155 mg/kg) and high dose (310 mg/kg). At the end of administration for 30-days, animals were sacrificed, and blood, kidneys and liver tissue samples were collected for hematological, biochemical and histopathological analyses.

Acute toxicity test revealed no obvious toxicity or death at 5000 mg/kg. There was no significant alteration (P>0.05) in body weight gain, feed and water intakes, relative organ weights, urea, sodium, potassium, chloride, total protein and albumin, malondialdehyde (MDA), and white blood cells. However, significant reductions (P<0.05) were noted in creatinine and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), hematocrit, hemoglobin, red blood cell and mean corpuscular hemoglobin only at high dose (doubled therapeutic dose) compared to the controls. There were no abnormal changes in liver, kidney and heart histology.

Administration of STC-30 at the recommended dosage did not exert deleterious effects, but doubled therapeutic doses may be harmful to the red blood cells.

There is a rising trend in the use of herbal stem cell remedies among the populace due to the belief that such remedies have all-encompassing health benefits, and without side effects. However, there is little or no scientific data reported on their safety profile. This study addressed the toxicological effects of STC-30, one of the popular polyherbal stem cell remedies used in several countries of the world including Nigeria, Ghana, Australia, among others.

The inhibitory activity of thymol and the nano-preparations were evaluated qualitatively versus Metronidazole against T. vaginalis in TYI-S33 culture medium. The live T. vaginalis parasites were counted on a hemocytometer, the inhibition rate was assessed and the data analyzed statistically.

Thymol and its two nanopreparations at varying concentrations inhibited T. vaginalis in culture after 24, 48, or 72 hours of incubation. The inhibition of T. vaginalis was also achieved in culture with Metronidazole at 65 µg/ml.

The percent inhibition of T. vaginalis by thymol and its nanopreparations depended on the duration of incubation and the concentration. Thymol and its nanoliposome preparation showed a lower inhibitory effect (IC50) on T. vaginalis than that of the thymol nanoparticles after 24 or 48 hours of treatment. However, the efficacy of the three thymol forms did not significantly differ after 72 hours of treatment.

Leaves from Physalis angulata L. plant have been used as a source of traditional herbal medicine. However, toxicity studies on the P. angulata leaf (PAL) extract are limited.  This study aimed to determine the subacute toxicity of the PAL extract on renal and liver functions and the associated histopathology.

The PAL material was prepared by maceration, and the total flavonoid content of the ethanolic extract was determined, using spectrophotometry. Twenty female Wistar rats were divided into four groups of five each. The control group was untreated, but the other three groups received the PAL extract at 100, 500, or 1000 mg/kg, body weight. The subacute toxicity testing was performed over 28 days, and the toxicity symptoms were recorded daily.

The PAL extract contained a total flavonoid content of 22.47 mg/g quercetin. At 500 or 1000 mg/kg, the extract caused significant diarrhea in rats. There were no significant differences in the relative organ weights, or the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, urea, and creatinine. There was no significant damage in the kidneys and liver, but mild histological changes were evident in rats treated with 1000 mg/kg of the extract.

The PAL extract did not cause renal or liver dysfunction in rats following 28 days of exposure. However, since diarrhea and mild histological alterations occurred in the liver and kidneys, precautions should be exercised when using the P. angulata extract at high doses in humans, especially over long periods.

Fenugreek has a long history as both a culinary and medicinal herb in the ancient world. In the current study, the authors aimed to determine the effect of this plant on diclofenac-induced hepatic, renal and duodenal damages.

Thirty five albino rats were randomly divided into five groups consisting of seven rats each. The extract of fenugreek seeds or Trigonella foenum-graecum (TFG) was administered to the rats in groups III and IV via the orogastric route. Diclofenac at 50mg/kg was also administered by the oral route to the rats in groups II, III, IV and V to induce hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. 500mg/kg Levofloxacin was administered as treatment to rats in group V. Twenty four hours after the last treatment, all animals were sacrificed and the organs of interest removed and dissected for histopathological examinations.

The extract of TFG increased the weight of kidney and liver tissues relative to total body weight, maintained the histology of the kidneys at a concentration of 500 and 1000mg/kg, and ameliorated the damages observed in the intestinal mucosa following administration of diclofenac. The extract also mitigated hepatocytic damages, interhepatocytic hemorrhages, vascular congestions and restored the hepatocytes’ arrangements.

The findings of the current study demonstrate that the TFG extract produced promising therapeutic effects by significantly preventing toxicity in the duodenum, liver and kidneys of the rats by healing the diclofenac-induced damages.

One of the challenges in medicine has been the exaggerated use of antibiotics. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of antibiotic usage in children in Arak, Iran (2019-2020) to determine the factors related to antibiotic prescription and consumption in children.

This was a population based, cross-sectional study conducted in Arak, the capital city of Markazi Province, Iran. Stratified random sampling was applied to recruit children who were up to five years old, and registered in the healthcare system between Jan. 2019 and Jan. 2020. A response rate of 85% was obtained from the subjects’ parents. Face-to-face interviews were used to collect the data from the children’s mothers. Univariate and adjusted linear regression analyses were applied to assess the determinants of antibiotic consumption in these children.

A total of 1483 children were enrolled in the study; most of them were boys with the mean age of 2.1±1.5 years old. The annual prevalence of antibiotic consumption in Arak was found to be 62.4% for at least one antibiotic. The most consumed antibiotic was azithromycin (24.2%). Among antibiotic groups, the most consumed group was macrolides (26.9%). Upon multiple logistic regression analyses, a lower consumption rate was observed among the younger children with older mothers, and children whose fathers had permanent jobs than other children groups. A higher consumption rate was observed among families with higher parity.

The annual prevalence of antibiotic consumption in this study was very high, with the most consumed drug being azithromycin. We recommend that the use of antibiotics be reconsidered by drawing future healthcare policies, aiming at reducing the heavy antibiotics consumption in children.

The present research addressed the spatiotemporal variations in such pollutants as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) in the atmosphere of Arak, a city in central Iran. Also, the health risk evaluation and ozone formation potential (OFP) were assessed.

The air samples were collected and evaluated through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) over a one-year period.

The overall BTEX levels ranged between 2.7-256 µgr/m3. The seasonal levels showed considerable variations among benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene, and the levels of total BTEX. Comparison of the air samples between morning and evening for the concentrations of BTEX components revealed that the values were higher in the evening; however, there were no significant differences observed among them. The spatial map indicated that the maximal concentration of BTEX components occurred in high-traffic zones of the city. The maximal and minimal OFP levels were recorded in the summer (254.8 µgr/m3) and autumn (64.9 µgr/m3), respectively. The average toluene/benzene (T/B) ratio found to be 4.3, indicating the fuel combustion was the major source of atmospheric BTEX from vehicles.

The measured cancer risk value for benzene (6.68×10-5) was higher than those recommended by the WHO and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Therefore, exposure to atmospheric benzene had a carcinogenic risk for Arak inhabitants.  This needs further investigation in future studies. The acceptable hazard quotients (<1) for all BTEX species posed minimal risks of non-cancer diseases for the population.

Sciatica is a common human disorder associated with chronic pain. To speed up the recovery of damaged sciatic nerve, using plant derivatives, such as Eugenol can be effective due to its known neuroprotective properties. This study, investigated the effects of Eugenol on the regenerative process of experimentally induced sciatic nerve injury in rats.

Twenty eight male Wistar rats weighing 250-300 grams were divided into four groups of seven rats each. The control and sciatica model groups received normal saline only. The other two groups of sciatica model received Eugenol intraperitoneally at either 50 or 100 mg/kg daily for one week.  Behavioral tests were also performed, and samples of the gastrocnemius muscles were removed under anesthesia for histopathological examinations.

The pace of nerve injury improvement and recovery of both sensory and motor functions increased significantly in Eugenol-treated groups compared to both the sciatica model and control groups.

Eugenol administration improved the repair and regenerative process of the induced peripheral sciatic nerve damage in rats. Therefore, this compound may be considered as a beneficial treatment option for sciatica in humans.

Purwoceng, a native Indonesian plant, has been traditionally used for its aphrodisiac, diuretic, and tonic effects. Despite its long history, the chronic effects of Purwoceng have not been fully understood. This study analyzed the chronic toxicity effects of the ethanol extracts of Purwoceng roots on the liver and kidneys in white male rats.

We conducted post-tests for liver histopathology and pre- & post-tests for SGOT, SGPT and urea-creatinine levels. The treatments were administered over 90 days on 32 rats, which were randomly divided into four groups, consisting of a control group (A), and three treatment groups receiving doses of 21 mg/kg/day (B), 42 mg/kg /day (C), and 84 mg/kg/day (D).

The chronic administration of Purwoceng root extracts at various doses did not significantly increase the SGOT and SGPT levels, but increased the levels of urea and creatinine at 21 and 42 mg/kg/day, respectively. The histopathological analyses revealed that the extracts caused some cellular damages in the liver at 42 mg/kg/day. The minimal toxic dose for the chronic administration of the extract was 21 mg/kg/day. However, determining a safe dose for the chronic administration of the extract was not possible, as even the control group showed increases in SGOT, SGPT and urea-creatinine levels. However, at 21 mg/kg/day, the extract did not cause liver histological damages.

The chronic administration of Purwoceng extract did not affect the liver function but caused histological damages in the liver cells and affected the kidneys function.