Toxic Effects of Some Medicinal Plants Used in Moroccan Traditional Medicine
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Moroccan J. Biol. 2-3 (2006) 21-30 Toxic effects of some medicinal plants used in Moroccan traditional medicine Mohamed Bnouham1*, Fatima Zahra Merhfour1, Mostafa Elachoui1, Abdelkhaleq Legssyer1, Hassane Mekhfi1, Driss Lamnaouer2 & Abderrahim Ziyyat1 1Laboratoire de Physiologie et Ethnopharmacologie. Département de Biologie. Faculté des Sciences. Université Mohamed Ier. B.P. 717 - Oujda, Morocco. Tel: ++21267627496. Fax: ++2123650 06 03 2Institut Agronomique et Veterinaire Hassan II, Departement de Pharmacie Toxicologie et Biochimie, Rabat- Instituts, Maroc. Abstract Phytoremedies are becoming mainstream worldwide; the increasing of these medicinal approaches is due to the recognition of the value of traditional medicine and indigenous pharmacopoeia. Although medicinal plants are often promoted as natural and therefore harmless, they are not free from adverse effects. The potential toxicity of herbal medicine is not new. In several countries, where herbal medicines are commonly used, it is well known that some plants must used with caution because the adverse reaction can be caused inherently by toxic herbs, by herbs overdoses, or by drug-drug interaction, thus, especially other adverse reaction can be due to quality problems such as adulteration caused by manufacturing, misidentification, substitution of one herbs for an others, improper processing of preparation and use, etc… The present study reviews the cases of some plants commonly used by Moroccan people in traditional medicine and reported as highly toxic. Twenty eight plants are selected dangerous for health; these toxic species belonging to 16 families have been repertoried. The families reported to be most representative of these kinds of plants are Solanaceae (7 species). All physiological functions can be affected by the toxicity of plants. However, the highly toxic plants reviewed are those which produce irreversible health injury, serious aftermath, and irreversible damage such as renal failure, liver damage, hemiplegia, blindness…etc and sometimes they can produce the death. The plants that have been reported to produce the sever damages are: Aconitum vulparia Rchb., Anagyris foetida L., Atractylis gummifera L., Bryonia dioica Jacq, Chenopodium album L., Colchicum autumnale L., Conium maculatum L., Daphne gnidium L., Daphne laureola L., Ferula communis L, Hyosciamus niger L., Mandragora autumnalis Bertol, Nerium oleander L., Ricinus communis L., Solanum nigrum L., Tamus communis L. and Thapsia garganica L. The review indicates the scientific name of the plant (family and specie), the vernacular name, the part used, the LD50 (lethal dose 50) and summarized the most relevant toxicological investigations. The products carrying the toxicity of the plants and the acute toxicity have been mentioned. The great part of these toxic drugs belongs to the alkaloid class. Key words: Toxic plants, Active components, Toxicity, Traditional medicine. Introduction The use of herbal medicines has increased herbal remedies are innocuous in contrast to considerably over the last decade over the conventional drugs; 3) The idea that what is world. Widespread reliance on traditional natural can only be good; 4) The medicine can attributed to 1) High cost of development of new diseases with severe conventional medicine; 2) The belief that complications, for which there is still no appropriate treatment and 5) The belief that * Corresponding author: Pr. Mohamed Bnouham herbal medicines are natural and safe. E-mail address: [email protected] M. Bnouham et al. / Moroccan J. Biol. 2-3 (2006) 21-30 22 Although phytotherapy continues to be a The colchicine, which is a highly toxic drug, main strategy of remedies in several obtained from Colchicum autumnale was very countries, few plants received scientific or useful against congestive heart failure. The medical scrutinity (Gray and Flatt, 1998). digitalin obtained from digital known for its Moreover, a high number of the medicinal high toxicity was very useful for the treatment plants possess a degree of toxicity. For of cardiac insufficiencies. In the same way we example, it was reported that about one third know very well the diverse important medical of medicinal plants used in the treatment of applications of the narcotics obtained from diabetes are considered to be toxic (Marles very toxic plants. These sorts of applications and Fransworth, 1988). concern for example the belladonna that has a This review is based on the literature such as remarkable importance in pharmaceutical using Medline and other reference sources industry. Indeed, it intervenes in the materials including the books, the Moroccan manufacture of 86 drugs; that is to say, 10.42 thesis, the papers and reviews published in % of pharmaceutical product in Morocco scientific journals and websites (such as FDA (Choulli et al. 1999). Although the seeds of database and Cornell Poisonous plants) Citrullus colocynthis are highly toxic, they giving database on ethnobotanic, were used for the treatment of diabetes. phytotherapy and toxicology. The Medline Recently, it has been shown that this plant search included the following key words: contains insulinotropic compound (Abdel- herbs, herbal, traditional medicines, Hassan et al. 2000. Nmila et al. 2000). The phytoremedies, toxicity, adverse effects, toxicity (acute toxicity) of some of these plants adverse reaction, drug-drug herbs interaction, was largely highlighted. In Morocco, it was overdose. In order to clarify this field for the noted that a great number of intoxication cases scientific researchers as well as for the in the Moroccan Poison Center (CAPM) are herbalists and users, we focused our searches due to ingestion of the plants and products of only on the highly toxic plants commonly traditional pharmacopoeia (2.5 % of the used by Moroccan people in traditional declared cases of intoxications) (CAPM). The medicine in order to better highlight this field most fatal toxic products in Morocco are the and to provide guideline for plant medicines plants and the products of the traditional users as for the herbalists, practitioners and pharmacopoeia whose lethality reached 17 %. consumers. CAPM has registered 100 cases of intoxication by Atractylis gummifera between 1992 and In this view we listed twenty seven plants 2000; that is to say 87.7 % of the total number more dangerous if they don’t used carefully. of the registered cases (CAPM). These plants are those which produce Since intoxications by Atractylis gummifera L. irreversible health injury, serious aftermath, frequently happens in Morocco, this plant was and irreversible damage such as renal failure, relatively well studied in Morocco. Several liver damage, hemiplegia, blindness…etc and tens of case of accidents due to the sometimes they can produce the death. intoxication by Atractylis gummifera were Indeed, the list is best used only as a studied and published (Berrada 1979, Sandali preliminary screening of potentially 1970). These studies made it possible to draw poisonous plants, not as a definitive a clinical table related to the ingestion of conclusion of toxicity and a complete list of Atractylis gummifera. This table includes a toxic plants. phase of latency of 24 H to 48 H before the appearance of the first signs of the Discussion intoxication. There is initially appearance of the digestive disorders then respiratory, Several toxic plants (used with adequate cardiovascular disorders, and hepato-renal amounts in traditional medicine) were useful function disorders. for humanity during many centuries for the treatment of certain serious illnesses. M. Bnouham et al. / Moroccan J. Biol. 2-3 (2006) 21-30 23 Table 1. Presentation of some plants used in Moroccan traditional medicine, their scientific names, the family, the vernacular name, the used parts, and information about medicinal uses, toxic components and toxicological signs Scientific names Local vernacular Used Medicinal uses Toxics compounds Toxicological signs DL50 References Species names names part (mg/kg) Family names Aconitum vulparia - Igantar or Ijantar Root Analgesic; Antirheumatic; - Aconitine Vertigo; Diarrhea; Iv cat 0,07-0,13 9,12,19 Renonculacae -Quatel ed-dib Anticongestif; Against Hypertension; Shivering Iv rat 0,08-0,14 - Hanq ed-dib sciatic and teeth pain Tachycardia; Respiratory Or rat 1 paralysis Iv mouse 0,12 Sc mouse 0,27 Ip mouse 0,38 Or mouse 1,8 Adonis oestivalis - Ayn el hajla Leaves Sedative; Diuretic; - Aconitic acid Colic; Convulsion; Ip rat >100 4, 8, 20, 26, Renonculaceae - Benaaman saghir Steams Antirheumatic; Against - Adonitol (ribitol) Dyspnea; Hypertension Iv mouse 180 31 - Dem elatrouss asthma; Against epilepsy; - Vernadin (coumarin) - Tit ntaceknout Emenagogue Anagyris foetida - Rharoub lkhenzir Seeds Against eczema; - Anagyrine (alkaloid) Tachycardia; 4, 20 Legumineuse - Ful lkleb Purgative; Against renal Hypertension; Vomiting; - Ufni ufen disease; Emetic Diarrhea - Kharaya - Tizzat Aristolochia longa - Breztom Roots Against intestinal pain; Aristolochic acid Nephrotoxicity; Or rat 184-203 4, 8, 12, 25 Aristolochiacoe - Chajrat rustom Diuretic; Cutaneous Carcinogenic effects; Iv mouse 22,4 - Qitte lehmir lberi diseases; Cataplasm Alteration of liver and Or mouse 49-106 - Aarifi against snake kidney enzymes; Damage - Ajrachi liver and kidney Atractylis gummifera - Addad Roots Emetic Diterpenic heterosides : Death - Iv rat 431 6, 12, 20 Compositae - Ahfyun atractylosides, -Ip mouse 580 - Ishis carboxyatractylosides, parquine, carboxiparquine M. Bnouham et