Evaluating Toxicological Risks of Traditional Medicines in Modern Healthcare: vol.2

Traditional medicine, including medicinal plants, their derivatives and metal-based formulations, remains central to healthcare systems worldwide. Volume I of this Research Topic showed how modern toxicological tools can reveal the risks behind the belief that “natural equals safe”. Many questions remain open. Herbal and herbo-mineral preparations are chemically complex, and their effects depend on the source material, the preparation method and the dose. They also depend on how they interact with the body. Metals such as mercury, sulphur and arsenic can undergo biotransformation. They can also bioaccumulate and trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, genomic damage and shifts in the microbiota. As traditional medicines gain global interest and enter mainstream healthcare, robust evidence on their safety, mechanisms of action and safe dosage ranges is increasingly needed.Volume II builds on the first collection and extends its scope. We aim to move from descriptive safety findings toward mechanistic, predictive and regulatory-ready evidence. We welcome studies that combine analytical chemistry, in vitro and in vivo models, omics, in silico approaches, network pharmacology and clinical or epidemiological data. These studies should clarify how traditional medicines act, and where they cause harm, in the human body.We welcome Original Research, Brief Research Reports, Reviews, Methods and Perspective articles, including but not limited to:- Elemental and phytochemical characterization of traditional medicines, including speciation, contaminants and batch variability, and links to human health outcomes.- Toxicokinetic and toxicity profiling of herbal and herbo-mineral medicines using new approach methodologies, such as in vitro assays, omics, in silico models and in vitro to in vivo extrapolation, alongside in vivo and epidemiological studies.- Interactions of traditional medicines with dermal and gastrointestinal microbiota, and the resulting effects on health.- Herb-drug and metal-drug interactions, including pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects in patients using both traditional and conventional therapies.- Effects of traditional preparation and processing methods (for example detoxification procedures) on the chemistry, safety and efficacy of herbo-mineral medicines.- Gaps in regulatory guidelines and pharmacovigilance for traditional medicine, and strategies to address them at national and international levels. Topic editors: Eman M. Othman, Andre Luis Dias Araujo Mazzari, Kunal Bhattacharya Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86137/evaluating-toxicological-risks-of-traditional-medicines-in-modern-healthcare-vol2