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Indigenous Preparations of Bryonia laciniosa, Quercus infectoria, Putranjiva roxburghii and Mesua ferrea Induce Developmental Toxicity in C. elegans

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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The use of traditional medicines has gained popularity with time. Bryonia laciniosa, Quercus infectoria, Putranjiva roxburghii and Mesua ferrea are used for treating several conditions as indigenous preparations (IPs). In view of potential harms caused by such preparations used during pregnancy, the authors attempted to investigate their safety using C. elegans as a host. Forty-eight IPs were collected; based on the presence of phenols and steroids, six were considered for the toxicity study in C. elegans. Survival assay analysis was performed for fixation of the dose (at 500 μg/ml) for the further conduct of the study. Disruption in events such as egg-laying capacity and progeny production was observed to predict the toxic effects of the compounds in IPs. Survival assay results at 30 and 70 h showed that survival of the worms varied according to the exposure. The worms exposed to IP extracts H1, H4, H9, F1, F4 and F9 showed 60%, 60%, 20%, 40%, 80% and 40% mortality at 70 h, respectively, compared to the vehicle control. A profound impact on reproductive toxicity was observed upon exposure to SSDs. The egg-laying capacity reduced to 19–57 compared to 101 in controls (P < 0.001) on Day 4. The progeny count reduced from 95 to 11–47 on Day 4 (P < 0.001). However, no gross morphological changes were observed. The present study revealed that IPs appeared to be toxic to the host system. However, corroboration of in vivo experiments in higher mammalian models is required for in-depth toxicology analyses and strengthening our evidence.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to sincerely thank the Department of Biotechnology, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, for providing support in conducting the experiment in their campus laboratory. This study was conducted as part of a large study supported by the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, and Science and Technology Council, Haryana. The funding body had no role in the design of the study, collection, analysis and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Indian Institute of Public Health- Delhi, Public Health Foundation of India, Delhi, India

    Pragya Rai

  2. Department of Biotechnology, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India

    Sharika Rajasekharan & Krishnaswamy Balamurugan

  3. Patiala, Punjab, India

    Abhijit Ganguli

  4. CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi, India

    Sarala Balachandran

  5. Science for Equity, Empowerment and Development (SEED) Division, Department of Science and Technology, Delhi, India

    Rashmi Sharma

  6. Government of Haryana, Chandigarh, Haryana, India

    Rakesh Gupta

  7. Indian Institute of Public Health Delhi, Public Health Foundation of India, Delhi, India

    Sutapa Bandyopadhyay Neogi

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  1. Pragya Rai
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  2. Sharika Rajasekharan
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  3. Abhijit Ganguli
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  4. Krishnaswamy Balamurugan
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Correspondence to Sutapa Bandyopadhyay Neogi.

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Significant Statement

Traditional medicinal preparations are not always safe. Unregulated use of such preparations pronounces systematic investigation to ensure safety. Consumption of indigenous preparations for having a male child is reported from parts of India. Their intake during critical period of pregnancy (6–10 weeks), presence of phytoestrogens and steroids as constituents and its reported association with birth defects and stillbirths warrant thorough investigation through prospectively designed predictive toxicological studies. Not only this merits scientific attention, the social and health hazards embedded within this issue call for validation. Our study on exploring the toxicity of indigenous preparations strengthens this evidence for instituting corrective measures.

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Rai, P., Rajasekharan, S., Ganguli, A. et al. Indigenous Preparations of Bryonia laciniosa, Quercus infectoria, Putranjiva roxburghii and Mesua ferrea Induce Developmental Toxicity in C. elegans. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., India, Sect. B Biol. Sci. 90, 657–667 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-019-01138-1

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