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Chapter 20 Genotoxic effects of medicinal and aromatic plants

  • Dilara Ülger Özbek ORCID logo and Elyor Berdimurodov
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Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
This chapter is in the book Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

Abstract

Since the beginning of human history, medicinal and aromatic plants, which have been recognized as a source of healing in nature, have been used in various areas such as food, medicine, clothing, cosmetics, and spices. Thanks to the bioactive molecules they contain, medicinal and aromatic plants are effective in the treatment of many diseases and complaints. These metabolites are utilized as herbal drug targets. Many diseases can be treated by leveraging the antioxidantantioxidant, anticanceranticancer, antifungalantifungal, antimicrobialantimicrobial, and anti-inflammatoryanti-inflammatory properties of their bioactive molecules. Today, the increasing costs and side effects of synthetic drugs have encouraged people to cultivate and use medicinal and aromatic plants. Recent research, however, has shown that some plant extracts may have genotoxic effects, especially when used in high quantities or under specific experimental conditions. Additionally, many folkloric plants have been found to possess DNA-damaging effects. Hence, assessing the safety profile of medicinal herbs before their approval for use is essential. However, given the fact that the chemical composition of these plants is not well understood, their uncontrolled use and the secondary metabolites synthesized due to the environmental conditions in which they grow can also be harmful. These harmful effects include poisonous, genotoxic, cytotoxic, and mutagenic properties, which may lead to negative outcomes.

A genotoxin is a biochemical or agent that can cause DNA or chromosomal damage. Such damage in a germ cell has the potential to cause a heritable altered trait. DNA damage in a somatic cell may result in a somatic mutation, which may lead to malignant transformation (cancer). Genotoxicity is the capacity to induce chromosomal abnormalities, DNA strand breakage, or mutation. Genotoxicity is an especially insidious toxicity that may result in carcinoma development years after exposure; it can arise from multiple compounds, with or without metabolic activation. In this section, the genotoxic effects of medicinal aromatic plants will be discussed.

Abstract

Since the beginning of human history, medicinal and aromatic plants, which have been recognized as a source of healing in nature, have been used in various areas such as food, medicine, clothing, cosmetics, and spices. Thanks to the bioactive molecules they contain, medicinal and aromatic plants are effective in the treatment of many diseases and complaints. These metabolites are utilized as herbal drug targets. Many diseases can be treated by leveraging the antioxidantantioxidant, anticanceranticancer, antifungalantifungal, antimicrobialantimicrobial, and anti-inflammatoryanti-inflammatory properties of their bioactive molecules. Today, the increasing costs and side effects of synthetic drugs have encouraged people to cultivate and use medicinal and aromatic plants. Recent research, however, has shown that some plant extracts may have genotoxic effects, especially when used in high quantities or under specific experimental conditions. Additionally, many folkloric plants have been found to possess DNA-damaging effects. Hence, assessing the safety profile of medicinal herbs before their approval for use is essential. However, given the fact that the chemical composition of these plants is not well understood, their uncontrolled use and the secondary metabolites synthesized due to the environmental conditions in which they grow can also be harmful. These harmful effects include poisonous, genotoxic, cytotoxic, and mutagenic properties, which may lead to negative outcomes.

A genotoxin is a biochemical or agent that can cause DNA or chromosomal damage. Such damage in a germ cell has the potential to cause a heritable altered trait. DNA damage in a somatic cell may result in a somatic mutation, which may lead to malignant transformation (cancer). Genotoxicity is the capacity to induce chromosomal abnormalities, DNA strand breakage, or mutation. Genotoxicity is an especially insidious toxicity that may result in carcinoma development years after exposure; it can arise from multiple compounds, with or without metabolic activation. In this section, the genotoxic effects of medicinal aromatic plants will be discussed.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Part I: Introduction
  4. Chapter 1 The importance of medicinal and aromatic plants for living things 1
  5. Chapter 2 Methods of obtaining drugs from medicinal and aromatic plants 41
  6. Chapter 3 Challenges encountered in growing medicinal and aromatic plants 119
  7. Chapter 4 Medicinal and aromatic plants that are toxic 155
  8. Part II: Effect of stress factors on medicinal and aromatic plants
  9. Chapter 5 Impact of drought stress on the medicinal and aromatic plants’ biochemistry 197
  10. Chapter 6 Impact of salinity stress on medicinal and aromatic plant biotechnology 229
  11. Chapter 7 Impact of heavy metal on the medicinal and aromatic plants’ biochemistry 265
  12. Chapter 8 Metabolic and hormonal responses of medicinal and aromatic plants to abiotic stress 299
  13. Part III: Pharmaceutical use of medicinal plants
  14. Chapter 9 Medicinal and aromatic plants used in burn treatment 327
  15. Chapter 10 Medicinal and aromatic plants used in respiratory diseases 363
  16. Chapter 11 Medicinal and aromatic plants with antioxidant properties 385
  17. Chapter 12 Medicinal and aromatic plants with antibacterial properties 417
  18. Part IV: Uses of medicinal and aromatic plants in other areas
  19. Chapter 13 Medicinal and aromatic plants used in cosmetics 457
  20. Chapter 14 Edible medicinal and aromatic plants 491
  21. Chapter 15 The mysteries of Moroccan nature: aromatic plants and their therapeutic medicinal properties 513
  22. Chapter 16 The use of medicinal and aromatic plants in aromatherapy 547
  23. Chapter 17 Medicinal and aromatic plants with antioxidant properties 581
  24. Chapter 18 Medicinal and aromatic plants with anti-parasitic properties 611
  25. Chapter 19 Medicinal and aromatic plants used in personal care products 651
  26. Chapter 20 Genotoxic effects of medicinal and aromatic plants 681
  27. Chapter 21 Applicability of start codon targeted (SCoT) polymorphism markers in determining genetic diversity in medicinal and aromatic plants 707
  28. Index 743
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111469713-020

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Part I: Introduction
  4. Chapter 1 The importance of medicinal and aromatic plants for living things 1
  5. Chapter 2 Methods of obtaining drugs from medicinal and aromatic plants 41
  6. Chapter 3 Challenges encountered in growing medicinal and aromatic plants 119
  7. Chapter 4 Medicinal and aromatic plants that are toxic 155
  8. Part II: Effect of stress factors on medicinal and aromatic plants
  9. Chapter 5 Impact of drought stress on the medicinal and aromatic plants’ biochemistry 197
  10. Chapter 6 Impact of salinity stress on medicinal and aromatic plant biotechnology 229
  11. Chapter 7 Impact of heavy metal on the medicinal and aromatic plants’ biochemistry 265
  12. Chapter 8 Metabolic and hormonal responses of medicinal and aromatic plants to abiotic stress 299
  13. Part III: Pharmaceutical use of medicinal plants
  14. Chapter 9 Medicinal and aromatic plants used in burn treatment 327
  15. Chapter 10 Medicinal and aromatic plants used in respiratory diseases 363
  16. Chapter 11 Medicinal and aromatic plants with antioxidant properties 385
  17. Chapter 12 Medicinal and aromatic plants with antibacterial properties 417
  18. Part IV: Uses of medicinal and aromatic plants in other areas
  19. Chapter 13 Medicinal and aromatic plants used in cosmetics 457
  20. Chapter 14 Edible medicinal and aromatic plants 491
  21. Chapter 15 The mysteries of Moroccan nature: aromatic plants and their therapeutic medicinal properties 513
  22. Chapter 16 The use of medicinal and aromatic plants in aromatherapy 547
  23. Chapter 17 Medicinal and aromatic plants with antioxidant properties 581
  24. Chapter 18 Medicinal and aromatic plants with anti-parasitic properties 611
  25. Chapter 19 Medicinal and aromatic plants used in personal care products 651
  26. Chapter 20 Genotoxic effects of medicinal and aromatic plants 681
  27. Chapter 21 Applicability of start codon targeted (SCoT) polymorphism markers in determining genetic diversity in medicinal and aromatic plants 707
  28. Index 743
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