Toxicity comparison of different active fractions extracted from radix Sophorae tonkinensis in zebrafish

Abstract

Abstract:Radix Sophorae tonkinensis (RST) is a widely used herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for treating infectious and inflammatory diseases. However, the toxicity data for RST are limited. The aim of this work is to assess and compare the toxicity of the whole RST extract and its five active fractions using the zebrafish model. Five active fractions of RST were prepared using five different types of solvents, which included dealkalized water, ethanol, n-butyl ethanol, dichloromethane, and diethyl ether. The chemical profiles of the active fractions were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the toxicity observed in the zebrafish model was confirmed using mouse models. In the zebrafish model, cardiovascular toxicity was observed for the fraction extracted using diethyl ether, and hepatotoxicity was observed for the whole RST extract and the fractions extracted using water and ethanol, whereas both cardiovascular and hepatic toxicities were observed for the fractions extracted using n-butyl ethanol and dichloromethane. The hepatotoxicity of the fractions extracted using n-butyl ethanol and dichloromethane was also observed in mice. Our findings provide the toxicity data for RST and its five active fractions through modeling in a zebrafish, and indicate that the different fractions may each have a different toxicity, which is helpful for the optimal use of RST in clinical practice.

Microwave-assisted aqueous two-phase extraction of alkaloids from Radix Sophorae Tonkinensis with an ethanol/Na2HPO4 system: Process optimization, composition identification and quantification analysis

“…Also, cytisine-type alkaloids were reported to have shown multi-pharmacological effects of the neuron protection and antidepressant property, etc (Li et al, 2013;Rouden et al, 2014). Recently, toxic side effects of the alkaloids have attracted more and more attention due to adverse clinical cases (Chen, et al, 2017;Liu, et al, 2017;Tian, 2016). For pharmaceutical uses, RST is one of the most important sources of quinolizidine alkaloids (especially matrine and oxymatrine as primary ingredients in pharmaceutical preparations) besides Sophora flavescens Ait.…”

Systematic analysis of chemical profiles of Sophorae tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma in vitro and in vivo using UPLC‐Q‐TOF‐MSE

“…It is worth mentioning that the flavonoids have significant biological activities, such as anticancer (Lu et al, 2016), antioxidant (Aderogba et al, 2007; Leal et al, 2020), anti‐gastric ulcer (Sasajima et al, 1978), and antiviral (Dai et al, 2019). In addition, some studies have found that flavonoids in S. tonkinensis have potential toxicity (Liu, Zhu, et al, 2017). A total of 40 flavonoids were detected, including 10 flavones, 11 isoflavones, 14 flavonones, and 4 isoflavanones.…”

Toxicity Assessment of Herbal Medicine Using Zebrafish Embryos: A Systematic Review

“…Cardiovascular toxicity was observed for the fraction extracted using diethyl ether, while hepatotoxicity was observed for the whole RST extract and the fractions extracted using water and ethanol. Both cardiovascular and hepatic toxicities were observed for the fractions extracted using n -butyl ethanol and dichloromethane [32].…”