In Vitro Hepatic Models to Assess Herb-Drug Interactions: Approaches and Challenges

Hlengwa N; Masilela C; Mtambo T R; Sithole S; Naidoo S; Machaba K E; Shabalala S C; Ntamo Y; Dludla P V; Milase R N

doi:10.3390/ph16030409

In Vitro Hepatic Models to Assess Herb-Drug Interactions: Approaches and Challenges

Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023 Mar 8;16(3):409. doi: 10.3390/ph16030409.

Authors

Hlengwa N¹, Masilela C², Mtambo T R^{1

3}, Sithole S^{1

3}, Naidoo S¹, Machaba K E¹, Shabalala S C^{1

3}, Ntamo Y³, Dludla P V^{1

3}, Milase R N¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa 3886, South Africa.
² Department of Biochemistry, North-West University, Mafikeng 2745, South Africa.
³ Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform and South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7505, South Africa.

Abstract

A newfound appreciation for the benefits of herbal treatments has emerged in recent decades. However, herbal medication production still needs to establish standardized protocols that adhere to strict guidelines for quality assurance and risk minimization. Although the therapeutic effects of herbal medicines are extensive, the risk of herb-drug interactions remains a serious concern, limiting their use. Therefore, a robust, well-established liver model that can fully represent the liver tissue is required to study potential herb-drug interactions to ensure herbal medicines' safe and effective use. In light of this, this mini review investigates the existing in vitro liver models applicable to detecting herbal medicines' toxicity and other pharmacological targets. This article analyzes the benefits and drawbacks of existing in vitro liver cell models. To maintain relevance and effectively express the offered research, a systematic strategy was employed to search for and include all discussed studies. In brief, from 1985 to December 2022, the phrases "liver models", "herb-drug interaction", "herbal medicine", "cytochrome P450", "drug transporters pharmacokinetics", and "pharmacodynamics" were combined to search the electronic databases PubMed, ScienceDirect, and the Cochrane Library.

Keywords: 3D culture; S9 liver fractions; hepatic models; herb–drug interactions; human liver microsomes; pharmacokinetics; precision liver slices; primary hepatocytes.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

The research reported herein was made possible through funding/partial funding by the South African Medical Research Council through its Division of Research Capacity Development under the Research Capacity Development Initiative. The content hereof is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views and sentiments of the funders.