<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Toxicity of phytochemicals, plant-based extracts and dietary supplements, and medicinal plants in general, is of medical importance and must be considered in phytotherapy and other plant uses. We show in this report how general database analyses can provide a quantitative assessment of research and evidence related to toxicity of medicinal plants or specific phytochemicals. As examples, several medicinal plants are analyzed for their relation to nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. The results of analyses in different databases are similar, and reveal the two best-established toxic effects among the group of plants that were examined: nephrotoxicity of <italic>Aristolochia fangchi</italic> and hepatotoxicity of <italic>Larrea tridentata.</italic></p></abstract>

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

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

Nutrition and Metabolic Research Laboratory, Kines-9600, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada

Interdisciplinary Toxicology

{"article-title":"A meta-analysis of medicinal plants to assess the evidence for toxicity"}

Toxicity of phytochemicals, plant-based extracts and dietary supplements, and medicinal plants in general, is of medical importance and must be considered in...

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

Published Online: Jul 30, 2010

Page range: 82 - 85

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10102-010-0016-0

Keywords
phytotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, phytomedicinal informatics, Aristolochia, Larrea

This content is open access.

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

Published Online: Jul 30, 2010

Page range: 82 - 85

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10102-010-0016-0

Keywordsphytotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, phytomedicinal informatics, Aristolochia, Larrea

This content is open access.

Keywords
phytotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, phytomedicinal informatics, Aristolochia, Larrea