Toxicological risks in herbal medicines: Component analysis, mechanisms, and detoxification technologies

Herbal medicines have long been a cornerstone of traditional healthcare systems worldwide, valued for their therapeutic properties. However, their widespread use is accompanied by growing concerns over poisoning incidents and adverse effects, highlighting the critical need for rigorous safety assessments.

This systematic review aims to (1) characterize toxic phytoconstituents in medicinal plants, (2) establish a theoretical foundation for standardized toxicity classification, and (3) enhance clinical safety profiles of botanical therapeutics.

PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Google Scholar, Wiley Online Library, American Chemical Society, Wan-fang Database, etc., were retrieved to gain comprehensive information on herbal medicines. The search utilized keywords including "herbal medicines", "toxic components", "chemical structure", "mechanism", and "detoxification".

This review employs tables to summarize critical knowledge on risks, toxicity mechanisms, assessment methodologies, and detoxification strategies for toxic constituents in commonly used herbal medicines. It emphasizes adopting integrated and context-appropriate toxicity assessment approaches to implement targeted toxicity reduction measures, while calling for establishing a comprehensive scientific evaluation system to balance therapeutic efficacy and toxicological risks.

This review synthesizes existing evidence to establish a foundation for standardized toxicity assessment, emphasizing the importance of rigorous safety evaluations for ensuring safe and effective clinical use of herbal medicines.