New publication: Dose-response assessment of neuroactive botanical extracts and their bioactive constituents using microelectrode array (MEA) recordings in rat primary cortical cultures

The Botanical Safety Consortium (BSC) has published a new study titled "Dose-response assessment of neuroactive botanical extracts and their bioactive constituents using microelectrode array (MEA) recordings in rat primary cortical neurons" in a special issue for the Botanical Safety Consortium in Pharmaceutical Biology. This work was led by the Westerink Lab at Utrecht University with input from the BSC Neurotoxicity Working Group.

This research explores the neuroactivity of selected botanical extracts (including aconite, kava, kratom, and oleander) and their corresponding key constituents using a microelectrode array (MEA) platform. The study demonstrates the utility of MEA-based approaches for assessing dose-response and neuroactive potential of complex botanical mixtures. It also benchmarks the effects of the extracts to the constituent (e.g., aconite and aconitine).

These findings advance efforts to modernize safety evaluation of botanicals using new approach methodologies (NAMs) and support the BSC’s mission to develop a fit-for-purpose, human-relevant framework for botanical safety assessment.

🔗 Read the full article: van Kleef et al., 2025. Dose-response assessment of neuroactive botanical extracts and their bioactive constituents using microelectrode array (MEA) recordings in rat primary cortical cultures. Pharmaceutical Biology. https://doi.org/10.1080/13880209.2025.2583834