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EVALUATION OF THE PHYSICO-CHEMICAL AND UV-VISIBLE SPECTROPHOTOMETER CHARACTERISTICS OF PSEUDARTHRIA HOOKERI LEAF
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Background
Globally, diarrheal and respiratory diseases are among the main causes of mortality and morbidity. In Uganda, cities are facing proliferation of trade in herbal medicines (HM), including those for diarrhea and/or cough. Information on the economic, and the ethnopharmacological aspects of these HM is scarce, deterring the sector from achieving optimal capacity to support national development. We profiled the anti-diarrhea and/or anti-cough HM, and the basic economic aspects of HM trade in Kampala city, to support ethnopharmacological knowledge conservation and strategic planning.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 65 herbalists using semi-structured questionnaires. This was supplemented by an observational survey using a high-resolution digital camera. Data were collected following the guidelines for research on HM, established by Uganda National Drug Authority, and World Health organization.
Results
Eighty-four plant species from 41 families were documented. Fabaceae and Myricaceae had the highest number of species (9, 10.7% each). Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck was the most commonly cited for cough, with a relative frequency of citation (RFC) of 1.00, and its relative medical importance was not significantly different from the other top 5 species except for Azadirachta indica A.Juss (RFC = 0.87). Entada abyssinica A. Rich (RFC = 0.97) was the most cited for diarrhea. Trees (34, 40.5%) were mostly used, and mainly harvested from wild habitats (55.2%) in 20 districts across Uganda. These HM were mainly sold as powders and concoctions, in markets, shops, pharmacies, and roadside or mobile stalls. The highest prices were Uganda Shillings (UGX) 48,000 (4.38)/kg for C. limon . All participants used HM trade as a sole source of basic needs; majority (60.0%) earned net monthly profit of UGX. 730,000 (400). The main hindrances to HM trade were the; disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic ( n = 65, 100%), and the scarcity of medicinal plants (58, 89.2%).
Conclusion
There is a rich diversity of medicinal plant species traded in Kampala to treat diarrhea and cough. The HM trade significantly contributes to the livelihoods of the traders in Kampala, as well as the different actors along the HM value chain throughout the country.
Even though Ayurveda has gained popularity among the medicinal systems there is a hindrance to its further development. One of the burning problems is the practice of adulteration which creates doubts and disbelief in the curative capability of traditional systems.In the present work methods & reasons for adulteration are described. The efficacies of Ayurvedic Products are critically dependent on an uninterrupted availability of herbs. The unethical practice of adulteration by the drug manufacturers would not only reduce the efficacy of the drugs but also affect the trust of the people in the traditional healthcare systems. Adulteration may be evaluated by different methods like morphological or organoleptic tests, microscopic evaluation, chemical evaluation, physical evaluation, chromatography, spectrophotometry etc. The solution lies in ensuring the availability of crude drugs. Studies on adulteration practices will have to be taken up along with identification of the scares drugs. Conservation measures of their natural habitat & ex-situ medicinal plant cultivation may have to be taken up in large scale.
Introduction:
Herbal medication use among patients with COVID-19 imposes a significant risk of drug-herbal interactions and adverse events. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with herbal medicine use among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 attending two large COVID-19 Treatment Units (CTU) in Uganda.
Methods:
A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted recruiting patients with COVID-19 hospitalized at the Mulago National Referral Hospital and Namboole Stadium CTUs. Chi-square or Fishers' exact test for categorical and Mann-Whitney U-test for numerical were used to determine the association between dependent and independent variables.
Results:
The study was terminated early because of significant reduction in the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and the closure of Namboole CTU. Of the anticipated 422 participants, we recruited 108 (25.6%). Of this, 58 (53.7%) were female, with a median age of 38 (range: 20-75) years. Forty-nine (45.4%) had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Fifty-eight (57.3%) of the participants had ever used herbal medicine and the majority had used them in the past 12 months (71.9%, n = 41) either before the diagnosis of COVID-19 (85.4%, n = 35) or after (36.6%, n = 15). Being vaccinated for COVID-19 (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 3.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4-6.8, p = 0.005) and having attained tertiary level of education (aOR: 6.2, 95% CI: 1.7-23.1, p = 0.006), as well as the accessibility to herbalists (aOR: 31.2, 95% CI: 3.7-263.2, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with herbal medication use. The majority of participants reported some improvement after using herbal medicine (80.7%, n = 46) and their doctors or nurses asked almost half of the participants about herbal medicine use (49.5%, n = 53).
Conclusion:
The use of herbal medicines to treat or prevent COVID-19 among hospitalized patients is a widespread practice in Uganda amidst unpublished evidence of their safety and efficacy.
Medicinal plants have been used for a very long time to improve human health; they are gaining increasing popularity globally as drugs, complementary and alternative medicines, food supplements, cosmetics and, more surprisingly, as medical devices. The complexity of herbs and extracts, supplied to such a wide range of markets and in different requlatory environments, raises major quality issues, increasing the need for appropriate analytical methods for their identification and standardisation, but also for the detection of adulterants and contaminants. Customs laboratories are often confronted with herbal samples which pose a range of challenges, ranging from quality issues to safety and even legal issues. Selecting a relevant analytical method, from the many available (microscopy, spectrometry, spectroscopy, chromatography...), is a crucial point that mainly depends on the set analytical goals. This review aims to detail such analytical goals and their complexity to propose a selection of analytical methods likely fit for each purpose. Major limiting factors, such as herbal product naming, sampling and sample preparation are also discussed.
Background:
In Uganda generally and in rural areas in particular, use of traditional medicine is a common practice, yet there remains lack of evidence on the overall utilization of traditional medicine and there are many aspects that remain unclear.
Objective:
To determine the use of traditional medicine and factors associated with this among the adults of Katikekile Subcounty in Moroto district.
Methods:
A descriptive cross-sectional study using quantitative and qualitative methods. Interviews among 323 respondents, and focus group discussions were carried out among village traditional birth attendants, village health team members, and traditional health providers.
Results:
Use of traditional medicine among the adults of Katikekile Subcounty was 68%. Usage was more prevalent among older people, and the majority of the adults used traditional medicine often as their first line-treatment for any illness. Herbs used for traditional medicines are usually locally available and free-of-charge. Long distance to health-facility based health care services, and medical fees contributed to the use of traditional medicine.
Conclusion:
Use of traditional medicine among adults of Katikekile Subcounty in Moroto in the Karamoja region in Uganda was high, and majority of the adults often used traditional medicine as first line-treatment. Both socioeconomic and health sector factors were associated with use of traditional medicine.
Background:
There is some evidence that patients with liver diseases commonly use complementary and alternative therapies to address general and liver-disease specific health concerns. The purpose of this study was to assess and describe prevalence, patterns and related factors of herbal medicine use among adults diagnosed with viral and non-viral hepatitis in Kampala, Uganda.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted on 310 adult patients attending the gastrointestinal clinic in Mulago hospital referral hospital in Kampala. Data on prevalence, types and reasons for herbal medicine use was collected using standardized questionnaires and focus group discussions. Modified Poisson regression analyses were used to examine factors related to use.
Results:
Usage of various herbal remedies within 12 months prior to April 2018 was reported by 46.1% (143/310) of patients with 27.3% (39/143) of these reporting having used conventional and herbal therapies concurrently. Herbal remedies were used to treat various health conditions including hepatitis. Patients with hepatitis C virus infection (PRR = 1.16, p = 0.02) compared to those with hepatitis B virus infection, and those who believed that it was safe to use herbal and conventional therapies concurrently (PRR = 1.23, p = 0.008) had higher prevalence odds of herbal medicine use. Conversely, patients who had been newly diagnosed with hepatitis (PRR = 0.69, p = 0.03) compared to those who had been diagnosed more than one-year prior, had lower prevalence odds of herbal medicine use. Various types of local herbs were reported as most commonly used however most patients did not know the ingredients of commercially prepared herbal therapies.
Conclusion:
A high prevalence of herbal medicine use was found among newly-diagnosed patients and patients with hepatitis C more likely to use herbal remedies after adjusting for other factors. Usage was influenced by the belief that herbal medicine is safe and effective. Health workers need to consistently elicit information about herbal remedy use. Research is needed on benefits, adverse effects and outcomes in patients who use herbal remedies to treat primary liver diseases in order to facilitate evidence of efficacy and product safety.
Background:
Plants have been used as a primary source of medicine since ancient times and about 80% of the world's population use herbal medicine to treat different ailments. Plant use knowledge differs in space and time and thus requires documentation to avoid its loss from one generation to another.
Methods:
In order to accomplish the survey, semi-structured questionnaires were used. The data collected included names of plant species, parts used, ailments treated, growth habit, methods of preparation and mode of administration of the herbal remedies. Descriptive statistics were used to present the data in form of tables and a graph.
Results:
Results showed that 50 plant species belonging to 26 families were utilized in the treatment of paediatric diseases of which Asteraceae and Lamiaceae were the most common. Leaves (80%) were the most commonly used and decoctions were the main method of preparation. Twenty nine health conditions were treated out of which digestive disorders, malaria and respiratory tract infections were predominant. Herbs and shrubs were equally dominant.
Conclusion:
Herbal remedies are an important source of treatment for paediatric diseases in Buhunga Parish. However, there is need for collaboration between herbal medicine users and scientific institutions to help in the discovery of new drugs based on indigenous knowledge. Scientists ought to explore suitable methods of preparation and dosage formulations in order to achieve the best benefits from herbal remedies.
Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) represent one form of complementary and alternative medicine. The popularity and complexity in production make them attractive and vulnerable to adulteration in stages ranging from planting to production. Adulteration refers to the addition of extraneous, improper, or inferior ingredients that should not be present in TCMs. To detect and combat adulterated TCMs, supplementary testing methods (STMs), which expand the capability of routine testing standards, have been applied in China since 2003. From 2003 to 2017, a total of 184 STMs for TCMs were approved by the Chinese national drug regulatory authority. By assessing these STMs, this research intends to identify those TCMs vulnerable to adulteration, to list common adulterants, and to characterize the techniques of analysis. The results show that adulteration of TCMs can be classified into three main categories: the addition of undeclared drugs/chemical substances, substitution with non-drug components, and the addition of foreign non-drug materials. The top five therapeutic areas of TCMs vulnerable to adulteration are diabetes, calm and sleep, sexual dysfunction, pain relief, and rheumatism. A total of 166 adulterants were detected in the adulterated TCM preparations and herbal products studied here, with 158 adulterants in TCM preparations and 43 in herbal products, with 35 adulterants in common. Each STM consists of different pharmaceutical analysis techniques, including tests for physical-chemical properties, chromatography, spectroscopic techniques, and mass spectrometry. The analytical methodology of STMs relies on the combination of these techniques, with HPLC ranking the highest percentage (76.1%) and physical-chemical techniques the lowest percentage (11.4%). This research shows that STMs have played a crucial role in combating adulterated TCMs. However, STMs represent merely a product testing-centered regulatory strategy. The inspection of cultivation and manufacturing processes should also be strengthened. More importantly, the awareness and self-discipline of TCM manufacturers in implementing good manufacturing practices and regulating the planting and cultivation of raw materials should be improved.
The present study about Trianthema portulacastrum (Linn.), family Aizoaceae, is an effort to evaluate physicochemical parameters, phytochemical screening, pharmacognostic properties of stem, root, leaf and seed and preparedness of different extracts by solvent system of wide-range polarity. Physicochemical analysis includes loss on dryness, total ash value, water-soluble ash value, acid-insoluble ash value, pH analysis, fluorescence study and extractive values in different solvent systems. All the parts of the plant showed loss on dryness in the range of 2 ± 0.69 to 7 ± 0.73. Foreign organic matters recorded in different parts of plant were in the range of 0.8 ± 0.045 to 2.0 ± 0.081. The total ash values were determined from 9.59 ± 1.87 to 15.54 ± 1.21% (w/w). The water-soluble ash values were from 7.5 ± 1.10 to 9.38 ± 1.54% (w/w), and acid-insoluble ash values were from 0.92 ± 0.84 to 4.19 ± 0.75% (w/w). Macroscopic, powder microscopy, fluorescence studies, extractive values, different properties of extracts and phytochemical screening studies were completed by a series of standard tests. The parameters evaluated under this study will safeguard the authenticity and efficacy of crude drug and provide referential information in distinguishing the drug from its adulterants. The observations of studied parameters will be useful and helpful in setting diagnostic indices for identification and preparation of monograph of this plant and in differentiating root, stem, leaf and seed of this species from closely related species of same genus and family.
Eleutherococcus senticosus Maxim. belongs to the Araliaceae family. Phytochemical studies reveal that E. senticosus leaves contain triterpene glycosides along with organic acid derivatives and flavonoid compounds. It is believed that E. senticosus is similar to ginseng because they come from same family and both contain triterpene saponins. E. senticosus leaves have been developed as a functional beverage called ci-wu-jia tea in recent years. Triterpene glycosides are difficult to identify by ultraviolet (UV) detection and contents of these compounds are low in E. senticosus leaves. In this study, a sensitive ultra-high performance liquid chromatographic (UHPLC) method combining UV and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was developed to characterize the triterpene glycosides from E. senticosus leaves and related commercial products. Fragmentation patterns of three sub-groups of triterpene glycosides in E. senticosus leaves were investigated. Additionally, fragmentation pathways and UV characteristics of organic acid derivatives and flavonoids were also characterized. A compound screening library, including 241 compounds reported in the literature, was created and used to confirm the compounds in the samples. In this study, a total of 24 samples, including 13 plant samples of E. senticosus and 11 ci-wu-jia tea products, were analyzed. Out of the 11 commercial products, three products were discovered to contain green tea (Camellia sinensis) that was considered to be an adulterant since it was not an ingredient on the labels. The developed UHPLC-UV-MS/MS analytical method combined with the UNIFI processing method can simultaneously characterize organic acid derivatives, flavonoids, and triterpene saponins from E. senticosus. It provides a simple and sensitive way to perform quality control of E. senticosus and related ci-wu-jia tea products.
A new trifoliolate shrub, Pseudarthria panii (Fabaceae: Desmodieae), is described and illustrated. It resembles Pseudarthria viscida, but differs by its taller height, upright habit, late flowering, leaflets with an acuminate apex, longer light purple flowers, longer glabrous fruits, and more seeds. It occurs in the montane forest of China (Yunnan), Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Molecular evidence from the concatenated chloroplast fragments of rbcL and matK confirms its placement in Pseudarthria, which is a newly recorded genus from China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. The first collection of the new species can be dated back to ca. 120 years ago, i.e. Augustine Henry’s collection in Yunnan during 1896–1899. A key to Pseudarthria is also presented.
Objective
To describe the prevalence of herbal medicine use among US adults and to assess factors associated with and predictors of herbal use.
Design
The data for herbal products use were collected from the 2015 National Consumer Survey on the Medication Experience and Pharmacists’ Roles. Chi-square test was used to analyz factors associated with herbal use, and predictors of herbal use were assessed with logistic regression analysis.
Results
Factors associated with herbal supplement use include age older than 70, having a higher than high school education, using prescription medications or over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and using a mail-order pharmacy.” All Disease state associated significantly with herbal use. Approximately thirty-eight percent of those who used herbals used prescription medications and 42% of those who used herbals also used an OTC medication. The most frequent conditions associated with herbal supplement use were a stroke (48.7%), cancer (43.1%), and arthritis (43.0%). Among herbal product users, factors that predicted use included having higher than school education, using OTC medications, using mail-order pharmacy, stroke, obesity, arthritis, and breathing problems.
Conclusions
More than one-third of respondents reported using herbal supplements. Older age and higher education were associated with a higher use of herbal supplements. People with chronic diseases are more likely to use herbal medicines than others. OTC drug users and patients with stroke are more likely to use herbal medicines than others.
Three new flavonoids viz., pseudarflavones A (1) and B (2) and 6,7-(2″,2″-dimethylchromano)flavanone (3), were isolated from Pseudarthria hookeri together with thirteen known compounds: boeravinone L (5), gancaonin P (4), dorsamin F (10), emodin (6), 6-prenylpinocembrin (7), hiravanone (11), dorsmanin I (12), 6,8-diprenyleriodictyol (13), 6-prenyl-3′-methoxyeriodictyol (14), oblonginol (15), orobol (16), protocatechuic acid (17) and α-terthienyl (18). Their structures were elucidated by IR, MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques and by comparison with data reported in the literature. Chemical transformations were also employed to confirm some assignments. The insulin secretory activity of compounds (1, 3−18) was evaluated on isolated mice islets. Compounds (1, 3, 5 and 12) showed a mild effect on glucose stimulated insulin secretion while compounds (4, 10, 14 and 16) were found to display moderate insulin secretory activities of 247.5%, 404.8%, 350.7% and 291.8% respectively, in comparison to the control. The tested compounds showed no toxic effect on MIN-6 and 3T3 cell lines up-to 400 μM. These results demonstrated that compounds (10) and (14) showed a potential to be considered as new insulin secretagogues and that further development of their derivatives may increase their insulinotropic potential.
The tribe Desmodieae has a pantropical distribution and is one of the most advanced tribes in the subfamily Papilionoideae. Its greatest centres of development are in tropical Asia and America. Africa is relatively poorly endowed and only four genera comprising 16 species occur in the flora of southern Africa. Many of these species are widespread in the Old World tropics and the few African endemics appear to be closely related to them. A synopsis of the genera Desmodium, Pseudarthria, Alysicarpus and Lespedeza is given for southern Africa.
Although the formulations of the Unani system of medicine are popular, not much scientific work has been reported so far. The present article is an attempt to establish the scientific basis of one of the popular Unani formulations Safoof-ESana, a polyherbal formulation widely used as a laxative.
Investigations were carried out to study the physicochemical and phytochemical properties of Safoof-E-Sana and its active ingredients.
The values of percentage loss on drying, angle of repose, Hausner ratio, and Carr's index of the formulation were calculated as 8.25 ± 0.582, 27.68, 1.23, and 19 respectively, which indicate that the moisture content of the formulation is within the range and depict good flow characteristics. The total ash, acid- nsoluble ash, and water-soluble ash were found to be 19.146 ± 0.237, 2.351 ± 0.223, and 49.216 ± 0.634, respectively; the value of total ash indicates that the inorganic contents of the formulation are below the limits. Alcoholic and aqueous extracts of the formulation and ingredients were prepared and evaluated for phytochemical analysis and extractive values, and the results show that alkaloids of the formulation are more soluble in water than in alcohol and the higher aqueous extractive value (45.784 ± 0.876) of Unani formulation depicts that water is a better solvent of extraction for the formulation than ethanol.
Dietary supplements and herbal medicines are gaining popularity in many developed countries.
Although most can be used without any problem, serious toxicities do occur.
Problems can be anticipated when they are used for non-traditional indications, at excessive dose, for prolonged duration, or by patients who are also on multiple modern pharmaceuticals. Problems should also be anticipated when these products claim to be able to relieve symptoms rapidly or when herbs with pronounced pharmacological effects or toxic components are used.
Resuscitation, symptomatic and supportive care are the most important aspects of management of toxicities from these products.
This article reviews when problems with these products can be anticipated and outlines a practical approach to management.
A total of 33 extracts from 18 Cameroonians plants were studied in two in vitro test systems to determine potential estrogenic activities. The estrogenic activities of the extracts, which have shown promising activity on both in vitro screens were further investigated in vivo on ovariectomized Wistar rats. All 33 extracts were screened in the yeast test-system. Five of these extracts, namely the ethyl acetate extract of the stem bark of Millettia conraui, the ethyl acetate extract of the stem bark of Millettia drastica, the methanol extract of the leaves of Bridelia ferruginea, the methanol extract of the roots of Pseudarthria hookeri and the methanol extract of the roots of Nauclea latifolia showed interesting estrogenic properties, and were therefore further investigated on alkaline Phosphase induction in Ishikawa cells. The extracts of Millettia conraui, Millettia drastica, Pseudarthria hoockeri and Nauclea latifolia showed significant stimulatory effects at 10 and 100 mg/ml doses. The extract of Bridelia ferruginea was not further evaluated because of its toxicity on Ishikawa cells. This stimulatory effect was completely inhibited by a combined treatment with the pure antiestrogen ICI (Faslodex, 5 x 10(-7) M). In vivo experiments showed that per os administration of 200 mg/kg bw of the extracts of Millettia conraui and Bridelia ferruginea significantly increased uterine epithelial height by 17.93% and 28.08% respectively compared with uteri of ovariectomized controls after 7 days of treatment. Uterine epithelial height of animals treated with 100 rg/kg bw/d of ethinylestradiol increased by 242.3% in the same experiment. Extracts of Nauclea latifolia and Millettia drastica had no effect on the uterine epithelial height of ovariectomised rats. 200 mg/kg bw/d of the extracts of Nauclea latifolia, Millettia drastica, Bridelia ferruginea and Millettia conraui given orally significantly increased vaginal epithelial height by 15.64%, 24.06%, 51.02% and 58.12% following the same treatment regiment compared to untreated controls. In line with these data was the finding that vaginal epithelial height and vaginal cornification in the presence of each of these extracts was more advanced than in ovariectomized controls although not as prominent as in response to ethinylestradiol treatment. These results suggest that some constituents of the extracts of Millettia conraui, Millettia drastica, Pseudarthria hookeri, Nauclea latifolia and Bridelia ferruginea may have estrogenic activity.
In order to contribute to the valorization of plants used in African traditional medicine for the improvement of the health of the populations, we undertook this study to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of an aqueous extract of leaves of Pseudarthria hookeri (Fabaceae), a plant reputed to be anti-anemic. Qualitative phytochemical tests performed with the aqueous extract of Pseudarthria hookeri (Fabaceae) leaves revealed the presence of sterols, polyterpenes, polyphenols, catechic tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, quinones and saponosides. The acute toxicity study of the aqueous extract of Pseudarthria hookeri leaves in female mice gave an estimate, according to the OECD-423 guidelines, of the 50% lethal dose (LD50). The results show that the administration of aqueous extract of Pseudarthria hookeri leaves at a dose of 2000 mg/kg bw and then at a dose of 5000 mg/kg bw did not induce any mortality in these animals during 14 days of observation; this allows us to conclude that aqueous extract of Pseudarthria hookeri leaves is not toxic by the oral route. Anemia was induced by administration of phenylhydrazine hydrochloride (4 mg/kg bw) for 6 days. Oral administration of aqueous extract of Pseudarthria hookeri leaves at doses of 50, 200, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg bw and the reference treatment (Ranferia hookeri) for 6 days did not induce anaemia. and the reference treatment (Ranferon®) resulted in normalization of red blood cell count, haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit, mean corpuscular haemoglobin volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and Mean corpuscular haemoglobin level (MCHL) in anaemic rats compared to the white control rats. In conclusion, this study showed that Pseudarthria hookeri leaves have similar properties to Ranferon® in rats, which justifies the traditional use of this plant in the treatment of anaemia.
Introduction
Herbal medicines are used to address some of the problems experienced by individuals addicted to drugs, but there are also many reports about the adulteration of products sold as medicinal herbs for addiction treatment or opioid withdrawal. The aim of the present study was to explore the products sold as herbal medicines by herbal remedy shops in Iran.
Method
Fifty samples of medicinal herbs were collected from herb shops located in different parts of Iran. Samples were coded according to their brand name and included: Dragon tablets, Deta capsules, compound capsules and Vincamin DF. Samples were transferred to the toxicology laboratory of the Medical Jurisprudence Organization of Mashhad and the samples were analyzed for their physical and chemical properties.
Results
Out of the samples, 74% contained illegal or chemical drugs. In most of the counterfeit samples, we found a high dose of tramadol, methadone, and diphenoxylate. In some samples, small amounts of nicotine, barbiturate, acetaminophen, diclofenac, lysergic acid diethylamide, diphenhydramine, codeine were detected. An investigation of the physical properties (smell) indicated the presence of fragrant compounds in some samples such as ginger, Peganum harmala, and pepper.
Conclusions
Nearly all of the handmade and illegally distributed herbal medicines for the treatment of drug withdrawal contained at least one opioid or illegal drug, indicating that there was evidence of adulteration and highlighting the dangers to users. It is important to raise awareness of people, particularly warning them against the use of such products sold by herbal shops for the treatment of addiction.
An electronic survey was used to assess the training needs of clinical and public health researchers who have been involved, and/or plan to become involved, in clinical trials of herbal medicines in Africa. Over 90 researchers were contacted through pre-existing networks, of whom 58 (64%) responded, from 35 institutions in 14 African countries. Over half (57%) had already been involved in a clinical trial of an herbal medicine, and gave information about a total of 23 trials that have already been completed. Of these, only five had been published, and only one had resulted in a licensed product. Fifty-four (54) of the researchers were planning to conduct a clinical trial of an herbal medicine in the future, and gave information about 54 possible trials. Respondents outlined the following most commonly encountered difficulties when conducting clinical trials: resource constraints (including lack of funding, equipment, staff, and infrastructure); social acceptance of the clinical trial (including difficulty recruiting enough patients, poor rapport with traditional healers, and willingness of biomedical staff to be involved); herbal medicine supply (including insufficient cultivation, production, and quality control); lack of trained staff; and logistical issues in conducting trials. The topics in which researchers were least confident were Intellectual Property Rights issues, statistical issues, and issues related to Good Clinical Practice guidelines.
The popularity of herbal medicines has risen worldwide. This increase in usage renders safety issues important. Many adverse events of herbal medicines can be attributed to the poor quality of the raw materials or the finished products. Different types of herbal medicines are associated with different problems. Quality issues of herbal medicines can be classified into two categories: external and internal. In this review, external issues including contamination (e.g. toxic metals, pesticides residues and microbes), adulteration and misidentification are detailed. Complexity and non-uniformity of the ingredients in herbal medicines are the internal issues affecting the quality of herbal medicines. Solutions to the raised problems are discussed. The rigorous implementation of Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) would undoubtedly reduce the risk of external issues. Through the use of modern analytical methods and pharmaceutical techniques, previously unsolved internal issues have become solvable. Standard herbal products can be manufactured from the standard herbal extracts.
- S A Madhavan
- M Mahadevi
- S Ganesan
- P Vinotha
Madhavan, S. A., Mahadevi, M., Ganesan, S., & Vinotha, P. (2020). PHYTOCHEMICALS SCREENING OF PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS OF PLANT ETHANOLIC LEAF EXTRACT Costus pictus.
2(4), 24-30.
ISSN NO : 0042-9945 PHARMACOGNOSTICAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS ON ETHANOLIC LEAVES EXTRACT OF Ipomoea sepiaria Volume XI , Issue VIII
- M Mahadevi
- S A Madhavan
Mahadevi, M., & Madhavan, S. A. (n.d.). ISSN NO : 0042-9945 PHARMACOGNOSTICAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL
SCREENING OF PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS ON ETHANOLIC LEAVES
EXTRACT OF Ipomoea sepiaria Volume XI, Issue VIII, August / 2020 Page No : 69 ISSN NO : 0042-9945 Page No : 70.