Adulteration and contamination of herbal medicines
Adulteration and contamination of herbal medicines appears to be common in
countries that are lenient with regard to controls regulating their purity. Adultera-
tions in herbal medicine are particularly disconcerting because they are unpredict-
able. Often they remain undetected unless they can be linked to an outbreak or epi-
demic. An example is veno-occlusive disease due to ingestion of plants containing
pyrrolidizine alkaloids, which can be life threatening or fatal [55, 56].
In many cases contaminated or adulterated herbal medicines can cause signifi-
cant medical problems, especially in children [57, 58]. In a recent review on heavy
metal poisoning in children consuming herbal medicines, 13 reports were identi-
fied from Singapore, Hong Kong, the USA, the UK, and the UAE from 1975 to
2002.
Ayurvedic medicines are sometimes prepared using inorganic active constitu-
ents. Combined with environmental contamination this may increase the heavy
metal content above permissible limits in developed countries.
The Indian Government has initiated a major program under which the phar-
macopeial standards for the drugs used in the Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha sys-
tems of medicine are being developed. The resultant pharmacopeia will help in
knowing more about the herbal drugs in use. Simultaneous use of more than one
herbal products or the use of herbal products in combination with pharmaceuticals
needs to be checked. There are chances of adverse interactions. Some of the con-
tradictions associated with poisonous drugs of the ISM are listed in Table 3.4.
Adulteration in Asian medicines mostly results from the misidentification of
plants. This has resulted in a number of serious events, primarily due to poisoning
with digitalis, belladonna, skullcap, etc. [8]. In 1998, the California Department of
Health reported that 32% of Asian patent medicines sold in the US contained un-
declared pharmaceuticals or heavy metals [60, 61]. The FDA and other investiga-
tors have also reported the presence of prescription drugs, including glyburide, sil-
denafil, colchicines, adrenal steroids, alprazolam, etc. in products claiming to con-
tain only natural ingredients [62].
Adulteration and contamination of herbal medicines appears to be common in
countries that are lenient with regard to controls regulating their purity. Adultera-
tions in herbal medicine are particularly disconcerting because they are unpredict-
able. Often they remain undetected unless they can be linked to an outbreak or epi-
demic. An example is veno-occlusive disease due to ingestion of plants containing
pyrrolidizine alkaloids, which can be life threatening or fatal [55, 56].
In many cases contaminated or adulterated herbal medicines can cause signifi-
cant medical problems, especially in children [57, 58]. In a recent review on heavy
metal poisoning in children consuming herbal medicines, 13 reports were identi-
fied from Singapore, Hong Kong, the USA, the UK, and the UAE from 1975 to
2002.
Ayurvedic medicines are sometimes prepared using inorganic active constitu-
ents. Combined with environmental contamination this may increase the heavy
metal content above permissible limits in developed countries.
The Indian Government has initiated a major program under which the phar-
macopeial standards for the drugs used in the Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha sys-
tems of medicine are being developed. The resultant pharmacopeia will help in
knowing more about the herbal drugs in use. Simultaneous use of more than one
herbal products or the use of herbal products in combination with pharmaceuticals
needs to be checked. There are chances of adverse interactions. Some of the con-
tradictions associated with poisonous drugs of the ISM are listed in Table 3.4.
Adulteration in Asian medicines mostly results from the misidentification of
plants. This has resulted in a number of serious events, primarily due to poisoning
with digitalis, belladonna, skullcap, etc. [8]. In 1998, the California Department of
Health reported that 32% of Asian patent medicines sold in the US contained un-
declared pharmaceuticals or heavy metals [60, 61]. The FDA and other investiga-
tors have also reported the presence of prescription drugs, including glyburide, sil-
denafil, colchicines, adrenal steroids, alprazolam, etc. in products claiming to con-
tain only natural ingredients [62].
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