Valerian, Lavender and Co really safe during pregnancy?

Investigation: Herbal active ingredients for mental health problems for pregnant women safely?

Lavender is a mood enhancer that can even help relieve depression. Many women who suffer from mental health problems during pregnancy also resort to this. But are herbal substances in such cases really safe for pregnant women? Researchers now want to investigate this in a study.

Many pregnant women suffer from depression

Many pregnant women suffer at times from depression, anxiety or severe stress. Some of them, however, take medicines with antidepressant, anxiolytic or sedative properties. However, as these drugs can have negative effects, many pregnant women prefer to use herbal supplements instead. Researchers at the Freiburg University Hospital are now working with Zurich and Basel colleagues to investigate whether herbal agents are safe against psychological problems during pregnancy instead of synthetic drugs.

Many women suffer from mental health problems during pregnancy and take herbal supplements. Researchers now want to investigate whether these drugs are safe for mother and child. (Image: nerudol / fotolia.com)

Herbal ingredients for mental health problems

Scientific research has shown that, for example, lavender oil works against anxiety disorders.

And valerian not only helps against insomnia, but is also a proven helper in stress.

But are such so-called phytopharmaceuticals safe for mother and child? This is what a research consortium of the University Medical Center Freiburg, the University Hospital Zurich and the University of Basel wants to investigate.

Safety of herbal medicines

In studies on immune and placental cells, it will be investigated, among other things, whether the most widely used herbal medicinal products and their metabolites are cell or mutagenic.

"If we described the safety of herbal medicines in the study, pregnant women can better take the right drug for them," explained PD. Carsten Gründemann, research group leader at the Institute for Infection Prevention and Hospital Hygiene of the University Hospital Freiburg, in a statement.

The researchers compare the results with classic psychologically active drugs.

Risk assessment of phytopharmaceuticals

The project has several goals: First, women are asked about their use of phytopharmaceuticals. The researchers then examine how the complex active ingredients of commonly used plants in the gastrointestinal tract are absorbed and metabolised by the intestinal flora and liver.

Then, possible cell and mutagenic effects, hormonal imbalances and interactions with other medicines are tested.

Finally, the researchers are investigating, among other things, the effect on immune and placental cells and whether the substances can overcome the placental barrier.

"The consideration of intestinal and liver metabolism is a completely new approach in the risk assessment of phytopharmaceuticals. The approach and the methodology developed in the project could be relevant to future pharmacology and safety studies in the field of phytomedicine, "said Drs. Gründemann.

Animal studies have been omitted

All examinations are performed in cell cultures using state-of-the-art experimental models. Among other things, a placenta perfusion developed at the University Hospital Zurich is used.

The use of animal experiments was deliberately omitted.

The variety of experimental models is the result of cooperation between the University Hospital of Zurich (Department of Obstetrics, Research Group Perinatal Pharmacology and Biochemistry), the University of Basel (Department of Pharmaceutical Biology) and the University Hospital Freiburg (Institute for Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology, Department of Integrative Medical Research) possible. (Ad)