Safety and Toxicity of Medicinal Plants

Abstract

Medicinal plants have been used in the treatment of human ailments since time immemorial. Herbal medicine and medicinal plants are comprised of many kinds of phytochemicals that make them act as medicines, but similar to modern medicine these may also produce unwanted effects in humans, thus making them unsafe or even sometimes toxic. The general perception and belief considering herbal medicines as safe in the modern scientific era would be illogical in absence of scientific proof of safety. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors of both plants and humans play a key role in determining the toxicity and safety of any medicinal plant. The use of medicinal plants preparations/herbal medicines during pregnancy should be given utter importance and this significant issue should not be forbidden at all. Growing scientific evidence indicates that herbal medicines/medicinal plants are also not spared of adverse effects and these may also have potential to induce adverse effects ranging from negligible discomfort to severe and life-threatening events.