Registration is required for this free webinar
Hosted by the SOT Risk Assessment and Mixtures Specialty Sections
Botanical use is widespread and growing in the United States, yet the developmental neurotoxic (DNT) potential of most botanicals remains poorly characterized. Using a refined version of the DNT In Vitro Battery (DNT IVB), which incorporates multiple assays evaluating key neurodevelopmental processes and neurobehavior, we screened 22 samples representing eight botanicals—Aconite, Bupleurum, Cassava, Guarana, Kratom, Oleander, Wormwood, and Yohimbe—and comparatively evaluated potency, selectivity, and activity confidence using Pareto frontier analysis. Oleander demonstrated the greatest potential for DNT effects, exhibiting high potency and selectivity across multiple assays, whereas Fu Zi (Zhi), a processed Aconite root, showed no activity. Botanical activity varied across ingredients, preparations, and lot numbers, highlighting the influence of processing and chemical composition on biological activity. Only five samples were active in the zebrafish neurobehavioral assay, suggesting limited effects on neurobehavior among the samples tested. Overall, these findings demonstrate diverse and variable neurodevelopmental activity across botanicals and underscore the challenges of characterizing DNT hazard for complex botanical mixtures.
Speaker
Zakiyah Henry, PhD, IRTA Postdoctoral Fellow, NIEHS Division of Translational Toxicology