Heavy metal pollution and potential health risks of commercially available Chinese herbal medicines

Wang, Zhongzhen; Wang, Hongbin; Wang, Haijuan; Li, Qinchun; Li, Yang

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.388

Cited by 63 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Another important issue is that the toxic compound content of wild-collected plants is higher than that of cultivated ones (Harris et al, 2011). Also, it was found that the average dissolution rates of zinc, copper, cadmium, mercury, arsenic and lead in four kinds of CHMs were 47.4, 33.8, 20.5, 6.1, 5.4 and 4.8%, respectively, and the CHMs were considered to pose no threat to human health (Wang et al, 2019). Nan et al (2021) reported that the Platycodon grandiflorum accumulated varying amounts of metal(loid)s in the order copper > mercury > lead > arsenic > cadmium, and their concentrations decreased in the early growth stage and then increased in the flowering season.…”

Section: Harmful Ingredients Limit Their Popularization and Applsicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Current trends of Chinese herbal medicines on meat quality of pigs. A review

Cui¹,

Lü²,

Tian³

et al. 2021

J. Anim. Feed Sci.

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Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) contain multiple active ingredients, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, polysaccharides, due to which CHMs have many biological properties for example antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-lipase. CHMs can promote intramuscular fat deposition, increase the content of fatty acids and free amino acids in pork, which increases the nutritional value and health-promoting properties of meat. However, there are still some problems with the application of CHMs in pig production to improve meat quality. Firstly, there are many active ingredients, and their identification and study on their interactions are necessary. Secondly, the presence of harmful ingredients limits CHMs popularization and application. This review summarizes the current applications of CHMs in pig production in order to increase meat quality, and compares their effects on meat quality, which provides a theoretical screen for effective CHMs and their combinations. In brief, it is necessary to distinguish and find CHMs that have positive effects on meat quality and growth performance.

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Section: Harmful Ingredients Limit Their Popularization and Applsicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Current trends of Chinese herbal medicines on meat quality of pigs. A review

Cui¹,

Lü²,

Tian³

et al. 2021

J. Anim. Feed Sci.

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“…These may employ a different concept of anatomy and physiology. As an example, in TCM, the diagnostic labels “Spleen Deficiency and Qi Stagnation Syndrome” and “Liver‐Stomach Disharmony Syndrome” are used to describe symptom clusters comprising epigastric fullness, bloating and abdominal pain, and epigastric fullness and pain, respectively 95,96 . Furthermore, the traditional herbalist employs a more personalized approach whereby the proportion of individual herbs within a compound herbal decoction may be varied according to the individual patient's constitution.…”

Section: Problems and Challenges With Herbal Medicinementioning

confidence: 99%

Herbal medicines in functional dyspepsia—Untapped opportunities not without risks

Gwee

Holtmann

Tack³

et al. 2020

Neurogastroenterology Motil

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Background Contemporary treatments for functional dyspepsia have limitations. Herbal medicine has been suggested as adjunctive treatment. With growing scientific recognition and public interests, an in‐depth review of this is timely. Aims/Purpose To evaluate the therapeutic potential and problems that may be associated with the adoption of herbal medicines in functional dyspepsia. Methods We reviewed the treatment landscape of functional dyspepsia and assessed the scientific community's interest in herbal medicine. Preclinical pharmacological and clinical trial data were reviewed for several herbal medicines available in the market. Challenges associated with adoption of herbal medicine in mainstream medicine were critically evaluated. Results We found that herbal medicines frequently comprise a combination of herbs with multiple reported pharmacological effects on gastrointestinal motility and secretory functions, as well as cytoprotective and psychotropic properties. We identified a number of commercially available herbal products that have undergone rigorous clinical trials, involving large numbers of well‐defined subjects, reporting both efficacy and safety for functional dyspepsia. Persisting concerns include lack of rigorous assessments for majority of products, toxicity, consistency of ingredients, dose standardizations, and quality control. We provide a quality framework for its evaluation. Conclusions We commend herbal medicine as a viable future option in managing functional dyspepsia. An attractive appeal of herbal medicine is the prospect to simultaneously target multiple pathophysiological mechanisms. Wider adoption and acceptance of herbal medicines in treatment algorithms of functional dyspepsia will require the application of the scientific rigor expected of chemical therapies, to all stages of their development and evaluation.

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“…However, various studies have shown that they can be a source of risk to human health as a result of exposure to a number of toxic elements contained in plants and taken from the environment. Soil pollution with heavy metals can generate directly or indirectly, through harvested plants, dangers and risks to ecosystems and human health through: food chain (soil-plant-human or soil-plant-animal-human), direct ingestion, decreased agricultural production due to phytotoxicity, decreased land use for agriculture [84,85].…”

Section: Risks Generated By Heavy Metals In Ecosystems and Humansmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heavy Metal Contamination of Medicinal Plants and Potential Implications on Human Health

Asiminicesei¹,

Vasilachi²

2020

Rev. Chim.

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This survey focuses on the problem of medicinal plants contamination due to environmental pollution produced by many different industrial activities and atmospheric deposition of some toxic compounds. This analysis is important since plants can easily absorb organic and inorganic compounds from all environmental compartments (water, soil, air), which can enter and be transferred in the trophic chain, up to humans. Medicinal plants are relevant for study in relation with their interactions with different contaminants, in particular those inorganic persistent as heavy metals, because they are used in entire world for their beneficial properties, and represent a significant part of traditional medicine. According to World Health Organization (WHO), 65-80% of world`s population depends on herbal products as the primary form of health care. Frequent use of medicinal plants to improve health, in the context of current pollution, requires special attention, since they can contain heavy metals in their structures, which can generate hazards and risks on human health throughout the subsequent consumption of contaminated medicinal plants as teas, other drinks, cosmetics.

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Heavy metal pollution and potential health risks of commercially available Chinese herbal medicines

Cited by 63 publications

References 38 publications

Current trends of Chinese herbal medicines on meat quality of pigs. A review

Current trends of Chinese herbal medicines on meat quality of pigs. A review

Herbal medicines in functional dyspepsia—Untapped opportunities not without risks

Heavy Metal Contamination of Medicinal Plants and Potential Implications on Human Health

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