- Available online 29 September 2015
- This article is a revision of the previous edition article by S.B. Karch, volume 4, pp 145–152, © 2005, Elsevier Ltd.
Abstract
Many
herbs have been, and continue to be, used as medicines, and their use
around the world seems to be rising. At the same, the sale of
over-the-counter remedies is widely prevalent across the world. Despite
widespread use, cases of toxicity are relatively rare. Few formal
toxicity studies have been conducted and a majority of information comes
from case reports only. The inherent problem is lack of standardization
and regulation of herbal medicines. Consequently, cases of
substitution, adulteration, and contamination of herbal products exist,
which have led to cases of serious toxicity. Diagnosis of herbal
toxicity is thus complicated as components in herbal remedies are often
unknown.
Keywords
- Adulteration;
- Aristolochic acid nephropathy;
- Cardiotoxicity;
- Chromatographic fingerprint;
- Contamination;
- Drug–herb interaction;
- Ephedra;
- Hepatotoxicity;
- Herbal medicine;
- Traditional Chinese medicine
Copyright © 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
