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An investigation of fungal contamination on the surface of medicinal herbs in China.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:The dried parts of medicinal herbs are susceptible to the infection of fungi during pre- or post-harvest procedure. This study aimed to investigate the presence of fungi and their metabolites mycotoxins on the surface of medicinal herbs collected from China. METHODS:Forty-five retail samples of 15 different medicinal herbs were collected from 3 different regions in China. Then the potential fungi were immediately washed off from the surface of each sample with 0.1% Tween-20 followed by incubation of the rinse on petri-dish with potato dextrose agar containing chloramphenicol at 28 °C. The obtained fungi were isolated as single colonies and then characterized by morphology and molecular identification using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing with extracted DNA. Meanwhile, the mycotoxin-producing potential of the isolates was studied by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). RESULTS:A total of 126 fungi were identified from the surface of samples by morphology and ITS sequencing, with Aspergillus and Penicillium genera as the predominant contaminants. The mycotoxin-producing potential analysis showed that 6 of 8 A. versicolor isolates could produce sterigmatocystin. All 3 A. aculeatus isolates produced ochratoxin A, but only 1 of 3 A. flavus strains produced aflatoxins B1 and B2 without G1 and G2. Although the sample contamination ratios were high (?95.6%), there was no significant difference (?2 = 1.05, P = 1.0) among the samples from 3 regions, which demonstrates the prevalent fungal contamination in the herbal medicines. CONCLUSION:The prevalent contamination phenomenon of fungi and high potential risk of sterigmatocystin and ochratoxin A were observed in 45 medicinal herbs collected from China.

SUBMITTER: Zheng RS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5209813 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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An investigation of fungal contamination on the surface of medicinal herbs in China.

Zheng Run-Sheng RS Wang Wen-Li WL Tan Jing J Xu Hui H Zhan Ruo-Ting RT Chen Wei-Wen WW

Chinese medicine 20170103

<h4>Background</h4>The dried parts of medicinal herbs are susceptible to the infection of fungi during pre- or post-harvest procedure. This study aimed to investigate the presence of fungi and their metabolites mycotoxins on the surface of medicinal herbs collected from China.<h4>Methods</h4>Forty-five retail samples of 15 different medicinal herbs were collected from 3 different regions in China. Then the potential fungi were immediately washed off from the surface of each sample with 0.1% Twee ...[more]

PMID: 28053655

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Project description:BackgroundInfluenza is a communicable acute respiratory infection which, during epidemics, can cause high morbidity and mortality rates. Traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, often administered following a particular Chinese medical theory, may be a potential treatment of choice.ObjectivesTo assess the effect of Chinese medicinal herbs used to prevent and treat influenza and to estimate the frequency of adverse effects.Search methodsWe searched CENTRAL (2012, Issue 11), MEDLINE (January 1966 to November week 2, 2012), EMBASE (January 1988 to November 2012) and CNKI (January 1988 to 29 March 2012). We also searched reference lists of articles and the WHO ICTRP search portal (November 2012).Selection criteriaRandomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing traditional Chinese medicinal herbs with placebo, no treatment or conventional medicine normally used in preventing and treating uncomplicated influenza.Data collection and analysisTwo review authors independently extracted data and assessed trial quality.Main resultsWe included 18 studies involving 2521 participants. The methodological quality of 17 included studies was poor. Included RCTs separately compared medicinal herbs with different antiviral drugs, precluding any pooling of results. Only three indicated that compared with antiviral drugs, Chinese medicinal herbs may be effective in preventing influenza and alleviating influenza symptoms. 'Ganmao' capsules were found to be more effective than amantadine in decreasing influenza symptoms and speeding recovery in one study (in which adverse reactions were mentioned in the amantadine group although no data were reported). There were no significant differences between 'E Shu You' and ribavirin in treating influenza, nor in the occurrence of adverse reactions. Ten studies reported mild adverse reactions.Authors' conclusionsMost Chinese medical herbs in the included studies showed similar effects to antiviral drugs in preventing or treating influenza. Few were shown to be superior to antiviral drugs. No obvious adverse events were reported in the included studies. However, current evidence remains weak due to methodological limitations of the trials. More high-quality RCTs with larger numbers of participants and clear reporting are needed.

Project description:Humans are constantly at high risk of emerging pandemics caused by viral and bacterial infections. The emergence of new pandemics is mainly caused by evolved viruses and bacteria that are highly resistant to existing medications. The rapid evolution of infectious agents demands the urgent investigation of new therapeutic strategies to prevent and treat these infections at an early stage. One of these therapeutic strategies includes the use of medicinal herbs for their antibacterial and antiviral properties. The use of herbal medicines as remedies is very ancient and has been employed for centuries. Many studies have confirmed the antimicrobial activities of herbs against various pathogens in vitro and in vivo. The therapeutic effect of medicinal herbs is mainly attributed to the natural bioactive molecules present in these plants such as alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenoids. Different mechanisms have been proposed for how medicinal herbs enhance the immune system and combat pathogens. Such mechanisms include the disruption of bacterial cell membranes, suppression of protein synthesis, and limitation of pathogen replication through the inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis. Medicinal herbs have been shown to treat a number of infectious diseases by modulating the immune system's components. For instance, many medicinal herbs alleviate inflammation by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1, IL-6) while promoting the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-10). Medicinal herbs also play a role in defense against viral and intracellular infections by enhancing the proliferation and functions of natural killer cells, T-helper-1 cells, and macrophages. In this review, we will explore the use of the most common herbs in preventing and treating infectious and non-infectious diseases. Using current and recently published studies, we focus on the immunomodulatory and therapeutic effects induced by medicinal herbs to enhance immune responses during diseases.

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An investigation of fungal contamination on the surface of medicinal herbs in China.

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An investigation of fungal contamination on the surface of medicinal herbs in China.

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