Quality Of Herbal Medicines Research Articles

Mitochondrial Function as a Potential Tool for Assessing Function, Quality and Adulteration in Medicinal Herbal Teas.

Quality control has been a significant issue in herbal medicine since herbs became widely used to heal. Modern technologies have improved the methods of evaluating the quality of medicinal herbs but the methods of adulterating them have also grown in sophistication. In this paper we undertook a comprehensive literature search to identify the key analytical techniques used in the quality control of herbal medicine, reviewing their uses and limitations. We also present a new tool, based on mitochondrial profiling, that can be used to measure medicinal herbal quality. Besides being fundamental to the energy metabolism required for most cellular activities, mitochondria play a direct role in cellular signalling, apoptosis, stress responses, inflammation, cancer, ageing, and neurological function, mirroring some of the most common reasons people take herbal medicines. A fingerprint of the specific mitochondrial effects of medicinal herbs can be documented in order to assess their potential efficacy, detect adulterations that modulate these effects and determine the relative potency of batches. Furthermore, through this method it will be possible to assess whole herbs or complex formulas thus avoiding the issues inherent in identifying active ingredients which may be complex or unknown. Thus, while current analytical methods focus on determining the chemical quality of herbal medicines, including adulteration and contamination, mitochondrial functional analysis offers a new way of determining the quality of plant derived products that is more closely linked to the biological activity of a product and its potential clinical effectiveness.

Planting Density Affects Panax notoginseng Growth and Ginsenoside Accumulation by Balancing Primary and Secondary Metabolism.

Adjusting planting density is a common agricultural practice used to achieve maximum yields. However, whether the quality of medicinal herbs can be improved by implementing appropriate planting densities is still uncertain. The medicinal crop Panax notoginseng was used to analyze the effects of planting density on growth and ginsenoside accumulation, and the possible mechanisms of these effects were revealed through metabonomics. The results showed that P. notoginseng achieved high ginsenoside accumulation at high planting densities (8 × 8 and 10 × 10 cm), while simultaneously achieved high biomass and ginsenoside accumulation at moderate planting density of 15 × 15 cm. At the moderate planting density, the primary metabolism (starch and sucrose metabolism) and secondary metabolism (the biosynthesis of phytohormone IAA and ginsenoside) of the plants were significantly enhanced. However, the strong intraspecific competition at the high planting densities resulted in stress as well as the accumulation of phytohormones (SA and JA), antioxidants (gentiobiose, oxalic acid, dehydroascorbic acid) and other stress resistance-related metabolites. Interestingly, the dry biomass and ginsenoside content were significantly lower at low densities (20 × 20 and 30 × 30 cm) with low intraspecific competition, which disturbed normal carbohydrate metabolism by upregulating galactose metabolism. In summary, an appropriate planting density was benefit for the growth and accumulation of ginsenosides in P. notoginseng by balancing primary metabolism and secondary metabolism.

Comparison of the guidelines on good agricultural and collection practices in herbal medicine of the European Union, China, the WHO, and the United States of America

Owing to modern developments in the traditional medicine industry, more people now acknowledge the efficacy of traditional medicine. As the demand for herbal medicines gradually increases, the focus of the industry will shift to how to increase production while maintaining the high quality of raw materials and final products to promote the international trade in herbal medicines. In the long history of herbal medicine, many countries and regions have formulated relevant standards to regulate the cultivation of local herbs to ensure the safety and reliability of the products. Due to cultural and historical differences, the policies for formulating herbal cultivation standards vary greatly between regions, which hinders the international trade of herbal medicines. This paper collates the guidelines of good agricultural and collection practices of the European Union, China, World Health Organization and the United States, and makes a comprehensive comparison of its contents such as production environments, production area suitability, air, soil, and water standard regulations, inter alia. This article aims to explore the differences in good agriculture and collection practice in herbal medicine in various regions and provides a reference for the development of international guidelines for herbal quality management, which will aid with the development of herbal medicine quality standardization globally and exchange services in the trade of herbal medicines.

Pemberdayaan Wanita Kelompok Tani Hutan Melalui Diversifikasi Produk Hasil Hutan Bukan Kayu (HHBK)

KTH Agro Sumber Rejeki is one of the forest farmer groups located in the Register 40 production forest area in South Lampung Regency. This community service in the context of diversifying non-timber forest products (NTFPs), namely citronella oil. The purpose of this community service activity is to provide knowledge, technical production skills and quality requirements for citronella massage oil and telon oil, through empowering women from KTH Agro Sumber Rejeki. The method used in this PKM activity consisting of several stages, first technical guidance for making telon citronella oil and citronella sequence oil with 3 variants: natural, lemon and rose as well as counseling on herbal medicine quality requirements The effectiveness of PKM activities is evaluated by carrying out a pretest and postest. The average postest score was 83.53, an increase of 49.41 points from the pretest score with a total score of 100. The evaluation results showed that there was an increase in knowledge and technical skills in making telon citronella oil and citronella massage oil and also understanding the quality requirements of herbal medicines in women of KTH Agro Sumber Rejeki.
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 Keywords: Citronella, Massage Oil, Telon Oil

The Study on Determinants of Intention of Taking Herbal Medicine: Using the Usage and Consumption of Korean Medicine Report in 2017

본 연구는 첩약(한약) 건강보험 시범사업에 앞서 한약 복용 의향에 미치는 영향요인을 규명하여, 향후 첩약(한약) 건강보험 시범사업 및 본사업 적용 시 기초자료를 제공하고자 진행되었다. 자료는 2017 한방의료이용 및 한약소비실태조사를 이용하였고, 한약 복용 의향의 영향요인을 파악하기 위하여 한방의료 이용자 2,535명을 대상으로 빈도분석, 카이제곱 검정, 로지스틱 회귀분석을 실시하였다. 로지스틱 회귀분석 결과, 교육수준과 민간의료보험 가입 여부가 한약 복용 의향에 유의한 영향요인으로 나타났다. 교육수준이 높을수록 한약 안전성에 대한 우려가 높은 것과, 민간의료보험 미가입자의 경제적 부담이 향후 한약 복용 의향에 영향을 미친 것으로 유추할 수 있다. 따라서 한약 복용 의향을 증대시키기 위해 한약 안전성과 질 관리 방안 등의 정책적 노력이 필요하며, 경제적 부담 완화를 위해 본인부담금 지원 확대 정책을 고려해야 할 것이다.The purpose of this study is to identify the factors affecting intention of taking herbal medicine before implementation of Pilot Project on Introducing Herbal Medicine for the National Health Insurance and to provide basic data for the pilot project and main project. This study used data from Usage and Consumption of Korean Medicine Report in 2017. To identify the factors affecting intention of taking herbal medicine, this study conducted frequency analysis, chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis on 2,535 subjects using herbal medical service. The result of logistic regression analysis showed that education level and private health insurance status had a significant influence on intention of taking herbal medicine. We infer that subjects with higher education level showed higher concerns over safety of herbal medicine and subjects who were not privately insured showed lower intention of taking herbal medicine due to financial burden. To increase the intention of taking herbal medicine, it is necessary to arrange policies for safety and quality of herbal medicine. In addition, policies for expanding support on herbal medicine charges should be considered to relieve the financial burden.

Thin Layer Chromatography Fingerprinting and Clustering of Orthosiphon stamineus Benth. from Different Origins

Introduction: Orthosiphon stamineus has been widely used across Asian countries for the treatment of various diseases. The quality of herbal medicine determine its safety as well as efficacy; and geographical origin is important factor contributing on the quality of herb and its products. Materials and Methods: Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) method combined with chemometric, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), has been employed to evaluate the quality of Orthosiphon stamineus leaves collected from eleven origins in Indonesia. Results: The results showed that mobile phase suitable for Orthosiphon stamineus was chloroform, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate (7:4:1). The method used has met the requirements of TLC system stability and precision. TLC-fingerprints analyzed with chemometrics showed an ability to discriminate Orthosiphon stamineus from various origins. PCA score plot of the first two principal components (PC) clearly distinguished 3 clusters of samples, whereas the loading plot of the first two PC showed that compounds with the Rf values of 0.0-0.1, 0.1-0.2, 0.2-0.3, and 0.9-1.0 are the most important compounds for clustering of samples. Conclusions: TLCfingerprint combined with the PCA was able to discriminate among the leaves of Orthosiphon stamineus originated from various locations. TLC-fingerprints analyzed with chemometrics can be used as an alternative of marker-oriented method to evaluate the quality of Orthosiphon stamineus.

Benefits of Mainstreaming Herbal Medicine in the Philippine Healthcare System

Benefits of Mainstreaming Herbal Medicine in the Philippine Healthcare System

\u201cQuantity-effect\u201d research strategy for comparison of antioxidant activity and quality of Rehmanniae Radix and Rehmannia Radix Praeparata by on-line HPLC-UV-ABTS assay

BackgroundQuantitation analysis and chromatographic fingerprint of multi-components are frequently used to evaluate quality of herbal medicines but fail to reveal activity of the components. It is necessary to develop a rational approach of chromatography coupled with activity detection for quality assessment of herbal medicines.MethodsAn on-line HPLC-ultraviolet detection-2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) free radical scavenging (HPLC-UV-ABTS) method was developed to obtain the chromatographic fingerprints and ABTS+• inhibition profiles (active fingerprints) of Rehmanniae Radix (Dihuang) and Rehmannia Radix Praeparata (Shu Dihuang). Eighteen compounds showing ABTS+• inhibition activity were identified by HPLC-fourier-transform mass spectrometry (HPLC-FTMS). Verbascoside was used as a positive control to evaluate the total activities of the samples and the contribution rate of each compound. The similarities of the chromatographic and active fingerprints were estimated by the vectorial angle cosine method.ResultsThe results showed that the HPLC-UV-ABTS method could efficiently detect antioxidant activity of the herbal medicine samples. The antioxidants were different between the two herbs and several new antioxidants were identified in Shu Dihuang. A function equation was generated in terms of the negative peak area (x) and the concentrations of verbascoside (y, μg/mL), y = 2E-07 × 4 - 8E-05 × 3 + 0.0079 × 2 + 0.5755x + 1.4754, R2 = 1. Iridoid glycosides were identified as main antioxidants and showed their higher contributions to the total activity of the samples. The total contributions of the three main active components in the Dihuang and Shu Dihuang samples to the total activity, such as echinacoside, verbascoside and an unknown compound, were 39.2–58.1% and 55.9–69.4%, respectively. The potencies of the main active components in the Shu Dihuang samples were two to ten times those in the Dihuang samples. Similarity values for S12 in the chromatographic fingerprints and S03, S12 and P03 in the active fingerprints were less than 0.9. The three batches of samples might show their different quality with the other samples.ConclusionsThe results suggested that the combination of “quantity-effect” research strategy and the HPLC-UV-ABTS analysis method could comprehensively evaluate the active components and quality of Dihuang and Shu Dhuang.

Determination of copper ions in herbal medicine based on click chemistry using an electronic balance as a readout.

The amount of copper affects the quality of herbal medicine greatly, it is necessary to develop some simple and sensitive methods to detect copper for the remote or resource-limited area. An electronic balance is one of the most familiar equipment that can be found nearly in all laboratories. The presence of Cu(i) can catalyze azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction (called as click chemistry) with high efficiency. In this study, a simple method had been developed to detect copper ions in herbal medicine using an electronic balance as a readout device based on click chemistry. Cu(ii) is reduced to Cu(i) by sodium ascorbate in situ, which induces the "click" reaction between azido-DNA modified magnetic beads (MB-DNA) and alkynyl-DNA modified platinum nanoparticles (Pt NP-DNA) and results in the fixing of the platinum nanoparticles on the beads (called as MB-Pt NPs). MB-Pt NPs can be separated by a magnetic frame easily and transferred into a drainage reaction device containing hydrogen peroxide. Then, hydrogen peroxide can be decomposed by Pt NPs modified on MB to generate oxygen, which increases the pressure in the drainage reaction device and forces the water in the system to be discharged. The weight of the discharged water can be easily and accurately measured by an electronic balance. The weight of the water has a linear relationship with Cu(ii) in the range of 2.0-200 μM and a detection limit of 0.83 μM under 30 min of collected time. This method does not need complicated and expensive instruments, skilled technicians, and a complex data processing process. The proposed method had been applied to detect copper ions in herbal medicine with satisfactory results.

Standardization of a Crude Drug Moringa oleifera Leaf from Africa, India and Local (Indonesian) which Cultivated in Bojonegoro Indonesia

Purpose: The research was to determine specific parameters (macroscopy and microscopy) and non-specific parameters (loss on drying, total ash content, acid insoluble ash content, water-soluble extractive matter, ethanol-soluble extractive matter), heavy metal contaminant (Pb, Hg, As, Cu) and microbial contaminant (Total Plate Count and Total Yeast Mold). Research also determined a total flavonoid of M. oleifera leaf. Methodology: The method carried out according to the procedure stated in the Materia Medika Indonesia 5 th edition. Methods to detection Contaminants were referred to WHO guidelines for assessing the quality of herbal medicines. The determination of total flavonoid was performed by spectroscopic method. Results: Crude drug of M. oleifera leaf meet the specific parameters (macroscopy and microscopy). Nonspecific parameters of Africa, India, Local M. oleifera leaf shows that loss on drying (8.06 ± 0.03; 8.89 ± 0.31; 7.56 ± 0.17) %, total ash content (8.64 ± 0.43; 10.64 ± 0.90; 15.31 ± 0.87) %, acid insoluble ash content (0.56 ± 0.08; 0.35 ± 0.01; 0.36 ± 0.06)%, water-soluble extractive matter (21.38 ± 1.39; 30.12 ± 2.06; 12.68 ± 1.12) %, ethanol-soluble extractive matter (39.37 ± 1.51; 27.74 ± 2.44; 27.09 ± 1.43)%, contaminant test including heavy metal contaminant shows that Pb, Cd, As and Hg were not to be detected. Microbial contaminant (Total Plate Count and Total Yeast Mold) under limits of WHO standart. Total flavonoid content of Africa, India, Local M. oleifera leaf were 8.12 ± 0.52 mg/ 100 mg QE; 10.69 ± 0.15 mg/ 100 mg QE dan 13.08 ± 0.08 mg/ 100 mg QE respectively. Conclusion: Moringa Leaves meet specific parameters (macroscopy and microscopy test). Non-specific parameter tests of Africa, India, Local Moringa Leaf shows that loss on drying, acid insoluble ash content, water-soluble extractive matter, ethanol-soluble extractive matter, contaminant test including heavy metal contaminant shows that (Pb, Cd, As and Hg) and microbial contaminant (Total Plate Count and Total Yeast Mold) meet the standard required, only total ash content did not meet the standard. Total Flavonoid content shows that the extract of M. oleifera from local (Indonesia) variety is higher than others. Keyword: M. oleifera leaf, Standardization, Crude Drug

Assessment of Quality of <i>Artemisia afra</i> Powder Used as Antimalarial in Tanzania

The quality of herbal medicine can be affected by environmental conditions where by the medicinal plants are grown or collected, the area where they are dried and processed, storage conditions, transport conditions and manufacturing processes at the point of production. The study aimed to determine the quality of heavy metals, aflatoxins and microbial contaminants of Artemisia afra leaves powder used as herbal medicine processed at the Institute of Traditional Medicine of the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS). Artemisia afra leaves powder was obtained from The Institute of Traditional Medicine (ITM) in Tanzania where it is processed and packed as Fivisia. Microbial contaminants were analyzed by using plate count method for moulds and Shigella spp. while Most Probable Number (MPN) method used for determination of E. coli; Heavy metals were analyzed using; Inductively Couple Plasma – Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and aflatoxin analysis was done using High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The data were tabulated, expressed in mean±S. D and presented in graphs and compared to WHO guidelines. The quantity of molds was between 1.1× 103 – 1.2× 103 CFU/g which is below the legal limit according to WHO of maximum of 105 CFU/g, none of the samples were contaminated with E. coli or Shigellas sp. Levels of heavy metals were within the permissible limit for consumed herbal product according to WHO standard guidelines; Chromium 1.69 ± 0.08 ppm, Lead 0.22 ± 0.01, Cadmium 0.08 ± 0.01, Mercury 0.15± 0.08 and Arsenic 0.04 ± 0.02. All samples were found below the detection limit for aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2. The Artemisia afra leaves powder processed and packed as Fivisia at the Institute of Traditional Medicine; Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) is safe for human consumption based on the quality parameters that have been studied.

Standardization of durian fruit peels (Durio zibethinus Murr.) extract and antioxidant activity using DPPH method

Durian fruit peels (Durio zibethinus Murr.) has been studied previously and reported to have pharmacological activity that has the potential to be antioxidant and antihypercholesterol. The ethanolic extracts of Durian fruit peels contained secondary metabolites, namely flavonoids, polyphenols, carotenes, and saponins. The purpose of this study to determine the non-specific parameters and specific parameters of the ethanol extract of durian fruit peels and to evaluate the antioxidant activity with the DPPH method. Standardization of herbal ingredients is an important thing to do so that the safety and quality of herbal medicines can be maintained. Two different cultivars of durian fruit peels are used, there are Medan and Monthong. The results of non-specific parameters between Medan and Monthong cultivars showed different moisture content (9.71 ± 0.96; 12.06 ± 0.34%, respectively), ash values (1.03 ± 0.20; 1.78 ± 0.07%, respectively), and water content (6.12 ± 0.29; 7.16 ± 0.25% respectively). Medan and Monthong cultivar extracts showed specific parameters showed different organoleptic information such as odor, color, and physical appearance, the content of water soluble compounds (36.39 ± 1.90%), the value of ethanol soluble compounds (40.20 ± 0.19; 45.27 ± 1.02%, respectively), and flavonoid value (472 ± 49.00; 310 ± 13.45 mg/g sample), phenolic value (245 ± 5.15; 148 ± 8.54 mg/g sample). Antioxidant activity was indicated by IC 50 values of each extract, namely Medan of 78.83 ± 1.67 µg/mL and Monthong of 72.77 ± 6.60 µg/mL. Statistical tests showed the value of non-specific parameters and specific parameters of the two cultivars not differed significantly. Â

MEDICINAL PLANTS AND HEALTH IN HUMAN HISTORY: FROM EMPIRICAL USE TO MODERN PHYTOTHERAPY

Phytotherapy is the science that deals with the treatment and prevention of diseases through medicinal plants and herbal products. The use of herbs as medicine is the oldest form of healthcare known to humanity and has been used in all cultures throughout history. It is known that even today over 80% of the world population depends on herbal medicines. The quality of herbal medicines is believed to be directly related to its active principles, but herbal medicines can be variable in their composition. Therefore, it is necessary to use an extract that is well defined in its chemical composition and in the quantity of specific active principles; and actually, to obtain constant efficacy and safety, standardized medicinal plant extracts are being used. Clinically confirmed efficacy and best tolerability and safety of standardized or quantified medicinal plant extracts are the key for a successful phytotherapic approach.

Effect of Different Post-Harvest Processing Methods on the Chemical Constituents of Notopterygium franchetii by an UHPLC-QTOF-MS-MS Metabolomics Approach.

Notopterygium franchetii is a herb used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is known as qianghuo. Its bioactive qualities are influenced by the post-harvest processing methods used (such as drying). However, changes in chemical components according to the drying method are unknown. Fresh roots and rhizomes of N. franchetii were subjected to seven drying methods. Chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with targeted and untargeted analyses were used to investigate relationships between drying methods and chemical concentrations. According to targeted evaluations of the six main bioactive constituents, their total contents decreased significantly in all drying methods. Hierarchical clustering analysis of the drying methods and total metabolome detected 30 chemical constituents, for which heap maps were obtained. Hot air drying was the best processing method, producing the least chemical changes at the lowest cost, while shade drying caused the greatest chemical changes. In conclusion, the wide range of chemical changes in N. franchetii caused by drying was investigated. Such changes potentially affect the quality of herbal medicines.

What has been the impact of the Traditional Herbal Registration (THR) scheme in the UK on information provided with herbal products bought over the counter?

BackgroundIn 2011 there was a strengthening of European Union (EU) legislation on the licencing of herbal products which, in the UK, resulted in the introduction of the Traditional Herbal Registration (THR) scheme. This scheme sets out standards for the safety and quality of herbal medicines and includes the provision of information to the customer on the safe use of the product.The aim of this study is to replicate a survey undertaken in 2011, prior to the implementation of the THR scheme, and evaluate the impact of this scheme on the information provided with herbal products bought over-the-counter.MethodsWe undertook a survey on 5 herbal products commonly available over-the-counter (St John’s wort, echinacea, Ginkgo biloba, Asian ginseng, garlic). The information was searched for key safety messages identified by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). We also explored the presence of risk of harm information.ResultsWe recorded a rise in the number of products registered with the THR scheme (37% in 2016 compared to 7% in 2011). We also identified a reduction in the number of products that did not contain key safety information (75% in 2011 compared to 20% of products obtained in 2016). Risk of harm information was only communicated in products containing a PIL. We identified more products containing frequency of risk of harm information but this was not statistically significant.ConclusionThe introduction of the THR scheme appears to be associated with an increase in the provision of information about key safety messages on the safe use of herbal products. However, it is important to note that at least half of the products on the market that are not included in the THR scheme do not contain any information about their safe use; this includes information about precautions, interactions and side effects.The use of NCCIH herbal monographs replicated the methods used in the previous study; we recognise that the use of a different resource might effect the appraisal of the information provided. We also acknowledge that surveying presence of information does not assure that the latter is effectively communicated to patients, for which a close textual analysis would be required. While it is promising that more information is available after the introduction of the THR scheme, the public needs to be informed about ways to optimise safe use of all herbal products.

Traditional Medicine and Western Medicine, Coexisting Systems and Practices. A Perspective on the way forward

This article looks at Western Medicine and Traditional Medicine and explores the implications of these coexisting but very diverse systems of healthcare. We have sourced information from the World Health Organisations, Strategy and Guidelines in Traditional Medicine Use and, Guidelines for assessing quality of herbal medicines with reference to contaminates and residues and a Study on Traditional Medicine use in Dunedin by final year Otago University Medical students. We offer a perspective on the roles of academic institutions and Traditional Medicine/Traditional Healers in the provision of universal healthcare coverage in the Pacific.

A new GIS model for ecologically suitable distributions of medicinal plants

BackgroundThe endangered rate of medicinal plant exceeds that of endangered plant species. However, blindly introducing medicinal plants in regions without comprehensively considering the involved environmental factors results in diseases and insect pests and the consequent overproof pesticide residue as well as reduces the quality of herbal medicine produced.MethodsGlobal Medicinal Plant Geographic Information System (GMPGIS) was developed to analyze environmental information of ecologically suitable regions, thus guiding the conservation and introduction of medicinal plants. This system is based on theories and methods from multiple disciplines, including computer science, geoinformatics, ecology, and traditional herbal medicine. Using a range-based method, the previously established ecologically suitable regions were evaluated. This new method effectively resolved the problem of outlier points, and its functions were implemented in Python. The system automatically calculates the Euclidean distance of climatic factors and intersection of soil factors, thus identifying regions with high ecological similarity and those are climatically and edaphically suitable for the cultivation of medicinal plants.ResultsThese results, validated using real-world regions, revealed that GMPGIS is highly accurate in screening ecologically suitable regions for the cultivation of medicinal plants worldwide.ConclusionsOverall, because of these features, the GMPGIS is considered as a suitable distribution analysis system for global medicinal plant cultivation.

High-temperature condition increases lignanoid biosynthesis of Schisandra chinensis seeds via reactive oxygen species

Introduction: The herbal medicine used in many countries came mainly from the wild in the past; now, declining yield resource and laborious gathering result in prevailing cultivated medicine, with a result of prevailing inferior quality of herbal medicine. The contents of major functional ingredients varies greatly in the fruits of Schisandra chinensis, a herbal medicine in many Asian countries. Materials and Methods: These fruits were placed at 20°C, 35°C, 45°C, and 55°C for 1–6 days, respectively, covered with plastics to prevent cells from anhydration during treating. The contents of H2O2, phenylalanine, and lignanoids and activities of antioxidant enzymes and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) were monitored. Results: The fresh seeds were exposed to 35°C, 45°C, and 55°C for 1 week; the H2O2 was rose sharply at 1 day and then declined but still with a higher level. The superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase activities were lowered, with inefficient antioxidant capacity. The PAL activities had a certain degree of high-temperature tolerance, remained largely unchanged at 35°C, but reduced gradually as temperature increased. High temperature activated the glycolytic pathway and rose the phenylalanine contents, which increased sharply at 1 day for 35°C and 45°C and at the 2 days for the 55°C and then maintained a stable level with almost 1–3 times than the 0 day. Conclusions: The increased phenylalanine as substrate accelerated the synthesis of lignanoids; the contents of five lignanoids were increased by as much as 31.2%–81.5%, respectively. Abbreviations Used: ROS: Reactive oxygen species; SOD: Superoxide dismutase; CAT: Catalase; POD: Peroxidase; PAL: Phenylalanine ammonia lyase.

Introduction of the International Standardization of ISO in the Production and Quality of Herbal Medicines and a Review of Countermeasures

Introduction of the International Standardization of ISO in the Production and Quality of Herbal Medicines and a Review of Countermeasures

CURRENT REQUIREMENTS FOR THE QUALITY OF HERBAL MEDICINAL PRODUCTS

The article provides the results of a comparative analysis of requirements laid out in the State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR, XI ed. (SPh XI) and the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation, XIII ed. (SPh XIII) concerning quality evaluation and standardization of herbal substances, herbal medicines and other herbal products. The article discusses requirements for the criteria of herbal substances and herbal medicines quality control described in general chapters and monographs that were previously in force and that have recently been adopted. The article mentions new herbal substances that were included into the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation for the first time as well as herbal substances included into the State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR, X ed., not included into SPh XI, but included into SPh XIII. The article analyses the requirements described in the new general chapters that were recently included into SPh XIII: “Herbal substances. Herbal preparations”, “Determination of heavy metals and arsenic content in herbal substances and herbal medicinal products”, “Determination of water absorption factor for herbal substances”, “Buds”, “Cut-pressed granules”. The article suggests ways to improve methods of analysis of herbal substances and herbal medicinal products in view of recent advances in pharmacopoeial analysis and the increasing requirements for its quality.