Analysis of Chinese herbal creams prescribed for dermatological conditions

Abstract

Objective To determine whether Chinese herbal creams used for the treatment of dermatological conditions contain steroids. Design 11 herbal creams obtained from patients attending general and paediatric dermatology outpatient clinics were analysed with high resolution gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.

Alternative and Traditional Medicines Systems in Pakistan: History, Regulation, Trends, Usefulness, Challenges, Prospects and Limitations

“…There are two aspects of safety evaluations: Firstly, to ensure right quality of material and right processes; secondly to ascertain that there is no contamination, adulteration or spiking. There are reports that steroids, heavy metals and other allopathic ingredients are found in herbal preparation (Keane, 1999, Saper et al, 2004. Such studies are wrongly used to limit the use of TCAM.…”

Traditional Chinese medicine herbs — are they safe for psoriatic patients?

“…Adverse reactions during TCM treatment range from mild (transient hepatitis, dermatitis) to severe fatal illnesses (anaphylactic shock, liver failure) [10]. Liver complications, including elevated liver enzymes, are one of the best documented adverse effects of TCM preparations [3], whereas allergic contact dermatitis is a commonly observed skin side effect to herbal preparations [8].…”

“…But, even though they are usually a mixture of many ingredients, detailed information concerning their composition and dosage is usually hard to find, because TCM herbal preparations are often sold in unlabeled containers and packages [10]. More often than not, the composition of each medication is decided by Chinese medicine practitioners who take into consideration the type of ailment and specific symptoms presented by individual patients.…”

“…Similarly, Radix lithospermi erythrorhizoni, due to its inhibitory effect on TNF-a-induced angiogenesis and suppression of Il-1a production, is thought to have a positive influence on the course of psoriasis, although scientific evidence concerning the safe use of the latter plant is still ambiguous [1]. [2,10,27]. Thus, side effects have been divided into five types: unpredictable adverse effects (AEs), AEs arising from improper use, AEs arising from contamination, AEs arising from misidentification of CMMs, and AEs arising from drug/herb interaction [2].…”

“…Keane et al [10] analyzed the components of Chinese herbal creams used in the treatment of skin conditions and found that most of them, both labeled and unlabeled, contained dexamethasone in various concentrations. The authors reported a patient who experienced an exacerbation of eczema herpeticum following the use of TCM preparations.…”