Botanical Dietary Supplements Gone Bad

Hepatotoxic Botanicals - An Evidence-based Systematic Review

“…Pennyroyal oil, which is also known as squawmint oil, is derived from two plant species Hedeoma pulegoides and Mentha pulegium (100,145). It has a mint-like odor and it has been used as insect repellent and abortifacient since Roman times (146,147).…”

“…Sassafras oil that obtained from both root and root bark has been used as flavoring and sudorific agent as well as treatment for insect bites and stings (189). It also used as a therapy of inflammation of eyes, urinary tract conditions and kidney diseases (145,189). The main active constituent of Sassafras oil is safrol (80%), which is also present in nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper and mace (145,190).…”

“…It also used as a therapy of inflammation of eyes, urinary tract conditions and kidney diseases (145,189). The main active constituent of Sassafras oil is safrol (80%), which is also present in nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper and mace (145,190). Moreover, it has been found that a small amount of sassafras oil can be toxic to human (191).…”

“…In 1949, the consumption of large quantity of sassafras oil reported to cause neurological effects like hallucinogenic and psychoactive effects (192). In 1960, the FDA banned the use of this oil due to high safrole levels (145). Accordingly, sassafras oil has been classified as a hepatocarcinogen of low grade (192).…”

A Comparison Between Lignans from Creosote Bush and Flaxseed and Their Potential to Inhibit Cytochrome P450 Enzyme Activity

“…Several examples exist of natural products undergoing P450-mediated bioactivation and irreversible P450 enzyme inhibition and hepatotoxicity (Johnson et al, 2003;Zhou et al, 2004;Surh & Lee 1995;He et al, 1998;Kent et al, 2002). Furthermore, natural products are known to result in significant interactions with coadministered therapeutic agents resulting in adverse effects or therapeutic failures (Dietz & Bolton 2007;Yuan et al, 2004;Kupiec & Raj 2005). With the growing interest in lignans for their health and wellness or therapeutic values, assessments of their safety are necessary to support their use.…”