The present study was carried out to assess the genotoxicity potential of Ficus deltoidea var. kunstleri aqueous extract (FDAE) using standard in vitro assays. The DNA damage of V79B cells was measured using the alkaline comet assay treated at 0.1 mg/mL (IC10) and 0.3 mg/mL (IC25) of FDAE together with positive and negative controls. For in vitro micronucleus assay, the V79B cells were treated with FDAE at five different concentrations (5, 2.5, 1.25, 0.625, and 0.3125 mg/mL) with and without S9 mixture. The bacteria reverse mutation assay of FDAE was performed on Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, 100, 1535, 1537, and Escherichia coli strain WP2uvrA using pre-incubation method in the presence or in the absence of an extrinsic metabolic system (S9 mixture). FDAE at 0.1 and 0.3 mg/mL significantly increased DNA damage in both comet tail and tail moment (p < 0.05). No significant changes were detected in the number of micronucleated cell when compared to control. Tested at the doses up to 5000 µg/plate, the FDAE did not increase the number of revertant colonies for all strains. In conclusion, further investigation needs to be conducted in animal model to confirm the non-genotoxicity activities of FDAE.

Liver diseases cause millions of deaths globally. Current treatments are often limited in effectiveness and availability, driving the search for alternatives. Herbal preparations offer potential hepatoprotective properties. Disrupted gut microbiota is linked to liver disorders. This scoping review aims to explore the effects of herbal preparations on hepatoprotective mechanisms, particularly in the context of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and hepatic steatosis, with a focus on gut microbiota modulation. A systematic search was performed using predetermined keywords in four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and Web of Science). A total of 55 studies were included for descriptive analysis, covering study characteristics such as disease model, dietary model, animal model, intervention details, comparators, and study outcomes. The findings of this review suggest that the hepatoprotective effects of herbal preparations are closely related to their interactions with the gut microbiota. The hepatoprotective mechanisms of herbal preparations are shown through their effects on the gut microbiota composition, intestinal barrier, and microbial metabolites, which resulted in decreased serum levels of liver enzymes and lipids, improved liver pathology, inhibition of hepatic fatty acid accumulation, suppression of inflammation and oxidative stress, reduced insulin resistance, and altered bile acid metabolism.

Dioscorea hispida Dennst. locally known as “ubi gadung” has been used as a traditional remedy and source of carbohydrate among Malaysians. To assess the effect of Dioscorea hispida aqueous extract (DHAE) on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their effects on DNA damage in Sprague Dawley rat’s placental tissues, pregnant rats were randomly divided into four groups. The animals were orally treated with distilled water (negative control) and three different concentrations of DHAE (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight (BW)) from gestation day 6 until 20. The oxidative stress in placental tissues was evaluated at day 21 by measuring the level of ROS, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lipid peroxidation biomarker, malondialdehyde (MDA) while comet assay was used for DNA damage. There was no significant production of ROS and SOD activities in all groups. Significant changes were observed in the MDA level at 1000 mg/kg BW DHAE. Comet assay revealed a significant increase (p < 0.05) of DNA damage on animals treated with 250 and 500 mg/kg BW DHAE but not at the highest concentration. It was postulated that the placental cells could have undergone necrosis which destroys all components including DNA. This occurrence simultaneously reduces the levels of DNA damage which can be represented by lower level of tail moments. This finding correlates with our histopathological examination where necrotic cells of spongiotrophoblast were observed in the basal zone of placental tissue. The high amount of hydrogen cyanide and other compounds in 1000 mg/kg BW DHAE could elevate the lipid peroxidation and directly induce cell necrosis which requires further investigation.