Safety of Boldo phytomedicines following systemic administration: A systematic review of pre-clinical studies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70151/6fjb5d87Keywords:
Folk Remedy, Medicinal Plants, Evidence-Based Pharmacy PracticeAbstract
Several species known in the Brazilian folk medicine as Boldo have been used in the form of infusions or other beverages, due to their therapeutic potential. However, academic concerns regarding the safety of Boldo extract have arisen due to reports of hepatotoxicity, teratogenicity, adverse pregnancy and abortive effects. We performed a systematic review of the systemic toxicity of different species of Boldo in preclinical studies. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA) statement was followed. The searches were performed in Pubmed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, Virtual Health Library and Google Academic databases, without language restrictions, until August 2023. Sixteen articles have been included for qualitative synthesis. The selected studies dealt with the species Plectranthus barbatus Andrews (Lamiaceae), Peumus boldus Molina (Monimiaceae), Vernonia condensata Backer (Asteraceae) and their botanical synonyms: Coleus forskohlii Briq. and Coleus barbatus (Andrews) Benth. ex G.Don for P. barbatus; and Vernonia amygdalina for V. condensata. Relevant changes in hepatocytes, liver weight, and fat deposition were reported. Furthermore, teratogenic potential, impaired motor activity and an important reduction in dopaminergic neurons were reported. The impaired methodological quality of the studies reinforces the need for further research to support the rationale use of Boldo phytomedicines in Brazilian complementary medicine.
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