Environmental and internal drivers of genotoxic carcinogens accumulation in botanicals and their preparations

Abstract

The use of botanicals and herbal products is increasing globally, especially in developed countries, but their active ingredients are often poorly defined and inconsistently regulated. Moreover, the chemical composition of plants is usually influenced by internal factors (such as genetics, phenology, and age) and external influences (such as environmental conditions). These influences can significantly alter chemical profiles, which is critical for plants used in food, cosmetics, and medicine. Growing concern over harmful compounds in these products highlights the variability in their levels. Specifically, some compounds in plants are known to have genotoxic or carcinogenic effects, and their concentrations can vary greatly depending on these factors. This paper reviews how factors like water stress, soil nutrients, geographic location, and plant development affect the presence of hazardous substances in plants. While genetic factors like chemotypes and cultivars are well-studied, less is known about how environmental and developmental conditions affect chemically uniform plants. Overall, the current work emphasizes the unpredictability of these effects and underscores the need for further research to compare the levels of hazardous compounds in plants against established human safety thresholds, to better assess exposure risks in food, cosmetic and herbal products.

Keywords: Chemotypes; Cultivation methods; Genotoxic carcinogens; Herbal products; Medicinal plants; Phenology.

Fig. 1

Chemical structures of some potential genotoxic carcinogens