Health Risk Assessment of Toxic Metal(loids) Consumed Through Plant-Based Anti-diabetic Therapeutics Collected in the Northern Divisional City of Rajshahi, Bangladesh

The present study investigates human health risks upon consumption of herbal medicines in terms of ten toxic metalloids in 20 plant-based anti-diabetic therapeutics. The analysis of metalloids was determined by an atomic absorption spectrometer after microwave-assisted digestion. The computation of hazard quotients (HQ) and hazard indexes (HI) of metalloids leads to the assessment of non-carcinogenic health risks. Carcinogenic risk was assessed based on cancer slope factor (CSF) and chronic daily intake (CDI) values. Comparison with WHO regulatory cut-off points for each metalloid: seven samples for Mn, 12 samples for Hg, three samples for Cu, eight samples for Ni, four samples for Cd, two samples for Pb, one sample for Cr, and eight samples for Zn are unsafe to consume. Non-carcinogenic human health risk is predicted for Mn in seven samples, Fe in one sample, Hg in ten samples, Cu in three samples, Ni in one sample, and Pb in two samples. HI values greater than 1 predict non-carcinogenic health risk in thirteen samples. Incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) remains for As (inorganic) in 12 samples, Cr (+ 6) in one sample, and Pb in no samples. To guarantee consumer safety, the implementation of strict monitoring is suggested.

Health Risk Assessment of Metals in Antidiabetic Herbal Preparations: A Safety Screening

The present study evaluates the human health risk of metals in locally consumed herbal preparations used to treat diabetes. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was used after microwave-assisted digestion to mineralize the samples. Toxic metal assessment was done by adopting mathematical modeling for carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks in the exposed population and comparing the raw results with maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by regulatory authorities. Hazard quotient (HQ) values for Fe, Hg, Cu, Pb, and Zn were recorded above 1. Noncarcinogenic health risks remain in 29% of samples for Fe, 67% of samples for Hg, 17% of samples for Cu, 33% of samples for Pb, and 4% of samples for Zn. Hazard index (HI) values in 33% of samples were above 1. Carcinogenic risks for Pb, Cr, Cd, and Ni were higher than the acceptable limit (1 × 10-6). Carcinogenic health risks exist in 54% of samples for Pb, 58% of samples for Cr, 46% of samples for Cd, and 58% of samples for Ni. MRLs for metals were crossed in samples in varying degrees. This is a harrowing account and may put public health safety at risk. Considering these facts, there should be more investigation into toxic metals in other frequently marketed herbal drugs in the antidiabetic and other therapeutic classes. Pre- and postmarket monitoring strategies for the preparations should also be in place to ensure safe consumption.

Authentication and identification of Lamiaceae family with cyclic voltammetry fingerprint-PCA-LDA and determination of the used phenolic contents for classification using chromatographic analyses

Todays, it is essential to evaluate and check the quality of herbal medicines in to protect the public health. As medicinal plants, the extracts of labiate herbs are used directly or indirectly to treat a variety of diseases. Increase in their consumption has led to the fraud in herbal medicines. Hence, modern accurate diagnostic methods must be introduced to differentiate and authenticate these samples. Electrochemical fingerprints have not been evaluated for their capacity to distinguish and classify various genera within a family. Since it is essential to classify, identify, and distinguish between these closely related plants in order to guarantee the quality of the raw materials, the authenticity and quality of 48 dried and fresh Lamiaceae samples, which include Mint, Thyme, Oregano, Satureja, Basil, and Lavender with various geographic origins, were examined. The present study focused on (a) classification and authentication Labiate herbs extracts and (b) identification of active compounds in samples by Gas chromatography and HPLC methods. This was accomplished using principal component analysis (PCA) and PCA-linear discriminate analysis (PCA-LDA). The results of the clustering revealed that PCA-LDA categorized mint species more accurately than PCA. In addition to certain flavonoids including ferulic acid, apigenin, luteolin, and quercetin, HPLC and GC analysis of the ethanolic extract revealed the presence of phenolic acids such as rosmarenic acid, methyl rosmarenate, caffeic acid, cinnamic acid, and chlorogenic acid. Comparing results of PCA-LDA with chromatographic analysis show that the authentication and detection of fraud samples were correctly performed using chemometyrics technique based on CV fingerprints. Even, there was no need to completely identify components of the mint samples.

Human Health Risk Assessment to the Consumption of Medicinal Plants with Melliferous Potential from the Romanian South-Eastern Region

This study presents the impact on human health by consuming medicinal herbs with high melliferous potential (HMPs) from botanical areas with different pollution levels. First, the bioaccumulation of the plants' parts has been determined. The study assessed the potential health risks associated with the ingestion of various mineral species (macroelements-K, Ca, Mg, Na; microelements-Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and one trace element Cd) from three types of HMPs (Sambucus nigra (SnL), Hypericum perforatum (Hp), and Tilia tomentosa (Tt)). The average concentrations of these elements were not similar even in the same type of HMPs. Nevertheless, all samples contained detectable levels of the studied elements. The average concentrations of the studied elements were very low (significantly lower than the legal limit set by the WHO). The study's findings indicated that the potential health risks associated with ingesting the elements in HMPs were within acceptable limits for children and adults. The hazard quotient (HQ) for Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Cd and the hazard index (HI) for the minerals from HMPs were significantly lower than the acceptable limit (HQ and HI = 1). Similarly, the carcinogenic risk for chemical substances (Riskccs) were lower than or close to the acceptable limit (1 × 10^-4).

Medicinal Plant Growth in Heavy Metals Contaminated Soils: Responses to Metal Stress and Induced Risks to Human Health

Accelerating heavy metal pollution is a hot issue due to a continuous growth in consumerism and increased activities in various global industries. Soil contamination with heavy metals has resulted in their incorporation into the human food web via plant components. Accumulation and amplification of heavy metals in human tissues through the consumption of medicinal plants can have hazardous health outcomes. Therefore, in this critical review we aim to bring together published information on this subject, with a special highlight on the knowledge gaps related to heavy metal stress in medicinal plants, their responses, and human health related risks. In this respect, this review outlines the key contamination sources of heavy metals in plants, as well as the absorption, mobilization and translocation of metal ions in plant compartments, while considering their respective mechanisms of detoxification. In addition, this literature review attempts to highlight how stress and defensive strategies operate in plants, pointing out the main stressors, either biotic or abiotic (e.g., heavy metals), and the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in stress answers. Finally, in our research, we further aim to capture the risks caused by heavy metals in medicinal plants to human health through the assessment of both a hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI).