Progress in using zebrafish as a toxicological model for traditional Chinese medicine

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been applied for more than 2000 years. However, modern basic research on the safety of TCMs is limited. Establishing safety evaluation technology in line with the characteristics of TCM and conducting large-scale basic toxicity research are keys to comprehensively understand the toxicity of TCMs. In recent years, zebrafish has been used as a model organism for toxicity assessment and is increasingly utilized for toxicity research of TCMs. Yet, a comprehensive review in using zebrafish as a toxicological model for TCMs is lacked. Aim of the study: We aim to summarize the progress and limitation in toxicity evaluation of TCMs using zebrafish and put forward the future research ideas. Materials and methods: The scientific databases, including Springer, Science Direct, Wiley, Pubmed and China Knowledge Resource Integrated (CNKI) were searched using the key words of zebrafish, toxicology, traditional Chinese medicine, acute toxicity, liver injury, cardiotoxicity, kidney toxicity, developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, gastrointestinal irritation, immunotoxicity, ototoxicity, and osteotoxicity. Results: Zebrafish assays are low experimental cost and short cycle, easily achieving high-throughput toxicity screening, and exemption from ethical legislation up to 5 dpf. It has been widely used to evaluate the acute toxicity, liver toxicity, cardiotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, gastrointestinal irritation, immunotoxicity, and ototoxicity caused by TCMs, although some physiological difference limited its application. Conclusions: Zebrafish is a powerful model for TCMs toxicity evaluation, but it is not flawless. The toxicity testing criterion and high throughput assays are urgent to be established. This review provides references for future studies.

Automated summary

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for over 2000 years, but modern research on its safety is limited. Zebrafish has been increasingly used as a model for toxicity research, offering low cost, high-throughput screening, and exemption from ethical legislation up to 5 dpf. Although zebrafish shows promise in evaluating TCM toxicity, further development of toxicity testing criteria and high throughput assays are needed.