First identification of natural products from the African medicinal plant Zamioculcas zamiifolia — A drought resistant survivor through millions of years

Background
The use of food supplements containing botanicals is increasing in European markets. Although intended to maintain the health status, several cases of adverse effects to Plant Food Supplements (PFS) have been described.
Objectives
To describe the self-reported adverse effects collected during the European PlantLIBRA PFS Consumer Survey 2011–2012, with a critical evaluation of the plausibility of the symptomatology reported using data from the literature and from the PlantLIBRA Poisons Centers' survey.
Subjects/Setting
From the total sample of 2359 consumers involved in the consumers' survey, 82 subjects reported adverse effects due to a total of 87 PFS.
Results
Cases were self-reported, therefore causality was not classified on the basis of clinical evidence, but by using the frequency/strength of adverse effects described in scientific papers: 52 out of 87 cases were defined as possible (59.8%) and 4 as probable (4.6%). Considering the most frequently cited botanicals, eight cases were due to Valeriana officinalis (garden valerian); seven to Camellia sinensis (tea); six to Ginkgo biloba (Maidenhair tree) and Paullinia cupana (guarana). Most adverse events related to the gastrointestinal tract, nervous and cardiovascular systems.
Conclusions
Comparing the data from this study with those published in scientific papers and obtained by the PlantLIBRA Poisons Centers' survey, some important conclusions can be drawn: severe adverse effects to PFS are quite rare, although mild or moderate adverse symptoms can be present. Data reported in this paper can help health professionals (and in particular family doctors) to become aware of possible new problems associated with the increasing use of food supplements containing botanicals.

/pdf/adverse-effects-of-plant-food-supplements-self-reported-by-58y2ka1zjq.pdf

Adverse Effects of Plant Food Supplements Self-Reported by Consumers in the PlantLIBRA Survey Involving Six European Countries

Introduction Plant Food Supplements (PFS) are products of increasing popularity and wide-spread distribution. Nevertheless, information about their risks and benefits is limited. To fill this gap, the PlantLIBRA-project a part of the EU's Seventh-Framework-Programme was started. Within this project, a poisons centresbased study on the risks of PFS was performed. 1Swiss Toxicological Information Centre, Associated Institute of the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; PlantLIBRA project member; 2Pavia Poison Center and National Toxicology Information Centre -Toxicology Unit IRCCS Maugeri Foundation and University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; 3Institut de Veille Sanitaire, SaintMaurice, France; 4Nutrivigilance, Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l'Alimentation, de l'Environnement et du Travail, Maisons-Alfort, France; 5Poison Information Centre, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; 6National Poison Control Centre, Military Medical Academy, Belgrade, Serbia; 7Swedish Poisons Information Centre, Stockholm, Sweden; 8GIZ-Nord Poisons Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; 9Poison Control Centre of Sao Paulo, Hospital Municipal Dr Arthur Ribeiro de Saboya, Sao Paulo, Brazil; 10Austrian Poisons Information Centre, Vienna, Austria; 11University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; PlantLIBRA project member; 12Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy; PlantLIBRA project coordinator

Retrospective poisons centres-based study on adverse effects due to plant food supplements

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Retrospective poisons centres-based study on adverse effects due to plant food supplements