Mercury exposure: Novel therapeutic approaches

Abstract

In the past decade, it has been a focus on chronic, low or moderate exposure to methylmercury and some randomized control trials draw the attention on health implications of low-grade mercury toxicity. This study was aimed to evaluate efficacy of a combined treatment in mercury exposed patients. Subjects were randomized to receive chelation therapy alone or chelation therapy associated with a combination of Silybum marianum (172 mg), N-Acetyl-Cysteine (200 mg), L-Glutathione (25 mg), Vitamin C (120 mg), Selenium (100 µg), Helianthus tuberosus, Taraxacum officinale, Schisandra chinensis, Zingiber officinale, Citrus paradise (an already on use formula), respectively. A total of 300 patients were equally randomized in 2 groups. Patients in the intervention group had significantly lower levels of mercury after 30 days of treatment, as well as after 30 days since the treatment has stopped (6.1 ± 4.4 vs. 7.6 ± 4.0, p = 0.002 and 3.8 ± 3.0 vs. 5.5 ± 3.3, p = 0.000, respectively). This study provides evidence regarding some herbal extracts that may play a protective role against mercury toxicity, improving clinical scores when compared to standard treatment. More trials are needed to establish an integrative approach against mercury poisoning.