Prospective evaluation of potential toxicity of repeated doses of Thymus vulgaris L. extracts in rats by means of clinical chemistry, histopathology and NMR-based metabonomic approach

Comparative Effect of the Active Substance of Thyme with N-Acetyl Cysteine on Hematological Parameters and Histopathological Changes of Bone Marrow and Liver in Rat Models of Acetaminophen Toxicity

Acetaminophen has always been at the center of attention as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, which is generally associated with the serious side effects on liver and the hematological parameters. This study aimed to compare the effect of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and thyme extract on rat models of acetaminophen-induced toxicity. The present experimental study was conducted on 48 Wistar rats randomized into six groups, including the control group (no treatment); the Ac group (470 mg/kg of acetaminophen); the Ac + 100Ex, Ac + 200Ex, and Ac + 400Ex groups (acetaminophen + thyme extract at doses of 100, 200, 400 mg/kg); and Ac + NA group (acetaminophen + NAC). After weighing, a blood sample was taken from heart at the end of the period. The measured parameters were hematological, liver biochemical, and oxidative stress profiles. A part of the liver tissue was also fixed for the pathological examinations. The bone marrow was aspirated to check for cellular changes as well. The lowest mean of the final weight and liver weight to body weight ratio was observed in the Ac group. Weight loss was compensated in Ac + NA and Ac + 200Ex groups (P = 0.035). White blood cell (WBC), red blood cell (RBC), Hemoglobin (Hgb), and Hematocrit (HCT) in Ac and Ac + 400Ex groups showed significant differences from those of the other test groups (P < 0.001). Aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzymes in Ac + 200Ex and Ac + NA groups showed a significant decrease compared to those of the other treatment groups (P = 0.043). Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) had the lowest levels in Ac and Ac + 400Ex groups, while malondialdehyde (MDA) had the highest content. In this regard, the liver histopathological indices (necrosis, hyperemia, and hemorrhage) in the Ac + 200Ex and Ac + NA groups reached their lowest grades in the treatment groups. The mean number of erythroid and myeloid cells in the Ac group reached the lowest (17.40 ± 3.48). The microscopic appearance of the bone marrow cells was different from normocytosis in the control group to hypocytosis in the Ac and Ac + 400Ex groups. Thymol, as an effective ingredient in thyme extract at a dose of 200 mg/kg compared to NAC, had a unique effect on reducing bone marrow and liver cell-tissue changes due to the acetaminophen toxicity.

Mineral contents, antimicrobial profile, acute and chronic toxicity of the aqueous extract of Moroccan Thymus vulgaris in rodents

Moroccan flora is rich in plants used in traditional medicine, but the further scientific investigation is necessary. The aim of the research was to evaluate the nutritional content and antimicrobial activity of Moroccan Thymus vulgaris, as well as its possible acute and chronic toxicological effects on rodents. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) was used to determine the mineral content. The antimicrobial activity was determined using a well-diffusion test, a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and a minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration (MBC/MFC) assay. Acute and chronic toxicity studies were conducted in vivo on mice and rats, respectively. Following that, haematological, serum-biochemistry, and histological investigations were performed. Moroccan Thyme was shown to be a source of numerous minerals which are necessary for health promotion. All antimicrobial testing, disc diffusion, MIC, and MBC tests revealed that thyme had potent antibacterial activity against all microorganisms tested. Staphylococcus aureus was the most susceptible bacterium, followed by Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli. Additionally, thyme exhibited great antifungal efficacy against Candida albicans. The acute toxicity results indicated that the aqueous extract of T. vulgaris is almost non-toxic when taken orally. According to the chronic toxicity study, the extract is generally safe when taken orally over an extended period of time. The biochemical and haematological characteristics of the serum and blood were within acceptable limits, and histological examination revealed no abnormalities. In conclusion, the findings of this investigation, confirm the antimicrobial efficacy of the aqueous extract of Moroccan T. vulgaris and its safety for experimental animals.

The Effect of Thyme Essential Oil on Liver Injuries Caused by Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion in Rats

Liver damage occurs following renal ischemia-reperfusion (RIR) that can cause inflammation and inflammatory cytokines activated after kidney injury. In this study, thyme essential oil (TE) with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties was used to reduce liver damage induced by renal IR. 32 male rats were randomly divided into 4 equal groups: (1) control, (2) RIR, (3) RIR+TE, and (4) TE. Rats received TE as a pretreatment at a dose of 0.5 ml/kg for one week. Then, under anesthesia for 45 minutes for ischemia, the kidneys of the animals were closed with clamps, and reperfusion was performed for 24 hours. Animal serum was isolated to evaluate alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) parameters. The liver of rats was examined for the measurement of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), and expression of genes such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and caspase-3. ALP, AST, ALT, MDA, NO, IL-6, TNF-α, and caspase-3 increased significantly in the RIR group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). GSH, GPX, and CAT decreased significantly in the RIR group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). TE caused a decrease in ALP, AST, ALT, MDA, NO, IL-6, and TNF-α compared to the RIR group and caused an increase in the amount of GSH, GPX, and CAT in the RIR group (p < 0.05). This study showed that TE has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that reduce liver damage induced by RIR.

A systematic review on ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacological aspects of Thymus vulgaris Linn

Thymus vulgaris Linn. is a medicinal and culinary herb from the Southern European region known for its anti-infective, cardioprotective, gastroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory activities since the Egyptian era. The reported pharmacological activities of T. vulgaris L. include antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anti-cancerous activities. In this review, a comprehensive approach is put forth to scrutinize and report the available data on phytochemistry, ethnopharmacology, pharmacology, and toxicology of the plant. The different extracts and essential oil obtained from the plant have been assessed and reported to treat ailments like microbial infections, inflammation, non-communicable diseases like cancer, and sexually transmitted diseases like HIV-1 and Herpes. The literature review has also indicated the use of volatile oils, phenolic acids, terpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, tannins, alkaloids, and polysaccharides in pharmacotherapy. Applications of these compounds including antidiabetic, anti-Alzheimer's, cardio, neuro and hepatoprotective, anti-osteoporosis, sedative, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase, antispasmodic, antinociceptive, gastroprotective, anticonvulsant, antihypertensive, antidepressant, anti-amnesia, and anti-helminthic activities have been mentioned. Further, based on research gaps, recommendations have been provided to evaluate T. vulgaris L. systematically to develop plant-based drugs, nutraceuticals, and to evaluate their clinical efficiency and safety.

Medicinal Plants as a Drug Alternative Source for the Antigout Therapy in Morocco

BACKGROUND

The gout is a metabolic disease that is associated with a high level of uric acid in the blood. This disease is treated with some medications that aim to reduce serum urate levels. However, the use of various medicines leads to the appearance of some side effects, hence the importance of using other treatments based on natural resources.

OBJECTIVE

This study presents some medical treatments, their side effects, and some plants that are used for gout management in Morocco in the aim to valorize them.

METHODS

We have been consulting various English publications in PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect published between 1991 and 2019 using the following keywords "drugs," "gout," "Morocco," "medicinal plants," "in vitro," and "in vivo" terms. Then, we have classified the medicines, according to their action mechanisms, and we have cited some species that were reported in Moroccan pharmacopeia as antigout.

RESULTS

Three methods of the gout medical management were cited in this work: xanthine oxidase inhibitors, uric acid excretion enhancer, and uricase recombinant. However, it was found that these treatments had various side effects. We have described 23 species, and some of them showed experimentally an antigout effect by blocking the "xanthine oxidase" enzyme. These plants belong to 11 families. Lamiaceae represents the most dominant family with six species followed by Asteraceae with two species. Colchicine isolated from Colchicum autumnale is the most known compound for its efficiency towards gout.

CONCLUSION

This work summarized different treatments particularly medicinal plants that are used in Morocco to treat gout disease by blocking uric acid secretion. However, several studies are needed to valorize these antigout natural sources.

Effects of Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Berit. on the metabolomic profiles of placenta and amniotic fluid in pregnant rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Banxia (BX) is the root of Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Berit. Its processed products, such as Jiang Banxia (JBX), have been clinically used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat vomiting, coughing, and inflammation. However, data for their safety for pregnant women are contradictory and confusing.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To further explore the safety of BX, an ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) metabolomics approach was used to evaluate the metabolic perturbation in pregnant rats caused by BX and JBX.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Placenta and amniotic fluid samples were collected from control Sprague-Dawley pregnant rats and exposed to BX suspension and JBX decoction (1.434g/kg/day). Samples were analyzed using LC-MS and GC-MS. The acquired MS data of above samples were further subjected to multivariate data analysis, and the significantly altered metabolites were identified. The associated pathways were constructed using MetaboAnalyst 3.0.

RESULTS

The weight and histopathology of the placenta from each group of rats had no definite difference. However, we found 20 differential endogenous metabolites that changed significantly in the placenta and amniotic fluid samples. The alterations of identified metabolites indicated a perturbation in glycerophospholipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and carbohydrate metabolism in pregnant rats exposed to BX and JBX.

CONCLUSION

In summary, this work suggested that oral administration of BX and JBX may induce disturbances in the intermediary metabolism in pregnant rats. This work contributes to further understanding the safety of BX and its processed products.

Metabonomics in the preclinical and environmental toxicity field

Preclinical studies assess both efficacy and safety of new drugs through a series of assays used to identify potential target organs and determine safety thresholds. However, despite these efforts, too many drugs prove toxic to humans during clinical phases or later on the market. This paper reviews how metabonomics, one of the key players in systems biology, should be able to assist toxicologists in better predicting the adverse effects of xenobiotics.