Cytotoxic Activity of Herbal Medicines as Assessed in Vitro: A Review

Since time immemorial, human beings have sought natural medications for treatment of various diseases. Weighty evidence demonstrates the use of chemical methodologies for sensitive evaluation of cytotoxic potentials of herbal agents. However, due to the ubiquitous use of cytotoxicity methods, there is a need for providing updated guidance for the design and development of in vitro assessment. The aim of this review is to provide practical guidance on common cell-based assays for suitable assessment of cytotoxicity potential of herbal medicines and discussing their advantages and disadvantages Relevant articles in authentic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar and SID, from 1950 to 2022 were collected according to selection criteria of in vitro cytotoxicity assays and protocols. In addition, the link between cytotoxicity assay selection and different factors such as the drug solvent, concentration and exposure duration were discussed.