The Myth of Beneficent Nature: The Risks of Herbal Preparations
Authors: Ryan J. Huxtable
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1992)

Editorials15 July 1992The Myth of Beneficent Nature: The Risks of Herbal PreparationsRyan J. Huxtable, PhDRyan J. Huxtable, PhDSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-117-2-165 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptIn 1976, in Tucson, Arizona, Dr. Alfred Stillman, a gastroenterologist, saw a 6-month-old girl with ascites and distended abdominal veins. Two weeks earlier, the child had had a normal pediatric examination. On questioning, the mother divulged that in the intervening period the child had been given a considerable quantity of a commercially available herbal tea. We showed this tea to be from the plantSenecio longilobus, commonly known as thread-leafed groundsel, and to contain hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (1). Needle biopsy specimens confirmed a diagnosis of veno-occlusive disease and the subsequent development of cirrhosis. At first, this appeared to be an...References1. StillmanHuxtableConsroeKohnenSmith ARPPS. Hepatic veno-occlusive disease due to pyrrolizidine (Senecio) poisoning in Arizona. Gastroenterology. 1977;73:349-52. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. FoxHartBergesonJarrettStillmanHuxtable DMPPAR. Pyrrolizidine (Senecio) intoxication mimicking Reye's syndrome. J Pediatrics. 1978;93:980-2. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Huxtable R. Herbal teas and toxins: novel aspects of pyrrolizidine poisoning in the United States. Perspect Biol Med. 1980;24:1-14. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Huxtable R. Human health implications of pyrrolizidine alkaloids and herbs containing them. In: Cheeke PR, ed. Toxicants of Plant Origin, v. 1. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press; 1989;41-86. Google Scholar5. LarreyVialPauwelsCastotBiourDavid DTAAMM. 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The harmful potential of herbal and other plant products. Drug Safety. 1990;5(Suppl 1): 126-36. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar13. HuxtableLuthyZweifel RJV. Toxicity of comfrey-pepsin preparations [Letter]. N Engl J Med. 1986;315:1095. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar14. RidkerOhkumaMcDermottTreyHuxtable PSWCR. Hepatic venocclusive disease associated with the consumption of pyrrolizidine-containing dietary supplements. Gastroenterology. 1985;88:1050-4. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar15. Tyler V. Plant drugs in the twenty-first century. HerbalGram. 1987;11:6-11. Google Scholar16. Mattocks A. Chemistry and Toxicology of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids. London: Academic Press; 1986:1. Google Scholar17. Huxtable R. Neurotoxins in herbs and plant foods. In: Isaacson RL, Jensen KF, eds. The Vulnerable Brain and Environmental Risks, v. 1. New York; Plenum Publishing; 1992 CrossrefGoogle Scholar18. ShubatHubbardHuxtable PAR. Dose-response relationship in intoxication by the pyrrolizidine alkaloid monocrotaline. J Toxicol Environ Health. 1989;28:445-60. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar19. Max B. This and that: the essential pharmacology of herbs and spices. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 1992;13:15-20. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Ryan J. 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