Treating infections in pregnant patients is potentially dangerous even when herbal medicines are used. Many herbal medicines, among them extracts from plants of Rhodiola genus, have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and immunostimulatory properties owing to their polyphenol content; they may, however, affect fetal development due to their antiangiogenic properties. The aim of this study was to explain whether daily feeding pregnant and lactating mice with 20 mg/kg Rhodiola kirilowii aqueous (RKW) or 50% hydro-alcoholic (RKW-A) extracts, or 0.2 mg/kg epigallocatechin (EGC, antiangiogenic compound of Rhodiola extracts), may lead to abnormalities in morphology and function of the kidneys of adult progeny. Such abnormalities were not observed in the kidneys of 6-week-old offspring, neither in RKW nor in the control group. However, the progeny of RKW-A- or EGC-fed mothers presented morphometric abnormalities in the kidney structure, with a significantly higher number of glomeruli/mm2 and a lower diameter of glomeruli (RKW-A group) or a significantly higher glomeruli diameter (EGC), than in the control and RKW groups. Abnormalities in serum vascular endothelial growth factor, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, urea, creatinine, and cystatin C levels were also found. We recommend caution in long-term use of RKW-A extract and EGC-rich foods during pregnancy and lactation.
Keywords: medicinal food; medicinal plants; mice; renal impairments.