Laboratory guidance on analytical methods to detect adulterants in commercial botanical materials: The next phase of the ABC-AHP-NCNPR botanical adulterants program

Abstract

As the market for herbal medicines and dietary supplements increases, so do confirmed reports of undisclosed ingredients being added to botanical raw materials, extracts, essential oils, and finished botanical-based consumer products. These problems not only present a significant challenge to the global botanical medicine and herbal supplement industries but more importantly put the health and safety of the consumer at risk. Examples of adulteration are currently being compiled in a series of peer-reviewed articles by an independent consortium of nonprofit organizations consisting of the American Botanical Council (ABC), the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP), and the National Center for Natural Product Research (NCNPR) at the University of Mississippi.