Caveats of using acetaminophen hepatotoxicity models for natural product testing.

In evaluating the potential of natural products and other chemicals to protect against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity, it is critical to use clinically relevant experimental models and evaluate the initial metabolic activation and protein adduct formation. If these basic principles are not considered, the clinical relevance of the hepatoprotection by a natural product is questionable and conclusions regarding potential mechanisms of protection may be unreliable. Therefore, we feel it is necessary to express our concerns regarding a recent publication by Zhao et al. (2012).