Safety evaluation of commonly used Chinese herbal medicines during pregnancy in mice
Abstract
BACKGROUND: It is unclear how safe the use of Chinese herbal medicine is during pregnancy and if the herbal medicines do any harm to pregnancy, embryo-fetal development and prenatal and post-natal growth. A large-scale preclinical study was conducted to detect the adverse effects of Chinese herbal medicines during pregnancy. METHODS: Twenty of the most commonly used Chinese herbal medicines prescribed for pregnancy were selected and the crude extract was administered to pregnant mice at clinical doses during five different gestational stages, namely post-implantation, gastrulation, organogenesis, maturation and whole gestation periods. Maternal effects on side effects, weight loss, litter reduction, implantation failure and fetal resorption and perinatal effects on growth restriction, developmental delay, congenital malformations and post-natal mortality were determined. RESULTS: Adverse pregnancy outcomes were commonly observed after maternal exposure to the herbal medicines, particularly during early pregnancy. Major events included maternal and perinatal mortality were recorded. Maternal weight gain, embryo growth and post-natal weight gain were significantly decreased. Fetal resorption and skeletal malformations were significantly increased. CONCLUSIONS: Reproductive toxicity of Chinese herbal medicines commonly used during pregnancy was identified in mice. Caution should be taken in the clinical use of herbal medicines during pregnancy.
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Multiple studies on safety of Chinese herbal medicine during pregnancy were inconclusive due to poor experimental stratifications.
“Multiple studies on the safety of Chinese herbal medicine during pregnancy was also inconclusive due to poor experimental stratifications [19–21].”
From Evaluating Traditional Chinese Medicine and Herbal Products for the Treatment of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (2019) · cites this paper as [19]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Wang, C. C., Li, L., Tang, L. Y., & Leung, P. C.
- Affiliations
- Chinese University of Hong Kong (HK)
- Corresponding author
- Wang, Chi Chiu
- Venue
- Human Reproduction
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2012-05-30
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 2448-2456
- ISSN
- 0268-1161 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-2350
- OpenAlex
- W2115367106
- Cited by
- 60
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 6.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Human Reproduction (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Cancer Research Institute
- University of Hong Kong
- Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Pharmacological Effects and Toxicity Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Pregnancy and Medication Impact
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies
- Keywords
- Chinese herbal medicine, pregnancy, reproductive toxicity, pregnancy stage, fetal resorption, skeletal deformities, congenital malformations, perinatal mortality, growth restriction, maternal toxicity, herbal medicine safety
- MeSH terms
- Abnormalities, Drug-Induced, Animals, Drugs, Chinese Herbal, Female, Fetal Resorption, Medicine, Chinese Traditional, Embryo Implantation, Plants, Medicinal, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Outcome, Pregnancy, Animal, Maternal Exposure, Fetal Weight, Mice
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