Safety of Traditional Arab Herbal Medicine

Abstract

Herbal remedies are widely used for the treatment and prevention of various diseases and often contain highly active pharmacological compounds. Many medicinal herbs and pharmaceutical drugs are therapeutic at one dose and toxic at another. Toxicity related to traditional medicines is becoming more widely recognized as these remedies become popular in the Mediterranean region as well as worldwide. Most reports concerning the toxic effects of herbal medicines are associated with hepatotoxicity although reports of other toxic effects including kidney, nervous system, blood, cardiovascular and dermatologic effects, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity have also been published in the medical literature. This article presents a systematic review on safety of traditional Arab medicine and the contribution of Arab scholars to toxicology. Use of modern cell biological, biochemical, in vitro and in vivo techniques for the evaluation of medicinal plants safety is also discussed.

Toxicity Evaluation of Yoyo 'Cleanser' Bitters and Fields Swedish Bitters Herbal Preparations following Sub-Chronic Administration in Rats

“…It thus appears that these herbal preparations may predispose to impairment of liver function on prolonged administration, but it is not clear if this could be significant enough to precipitate overt liver failure. Most reports of toxic effects due to the use of herbal medicines and dietary supplements are associated with hepatotoxicity although reports of other toxic effects including kidney, nervous system, blood, cardiovascular and dermatologic effects, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity have also been reported (Saad et al, 2006;See et al, 2010). Hepatic impairment resulting from the use of conventional drugs is widely acknowledged, but there is less awareness of the potential hepatic toxicity of herbal preparations and other botanicals, many of which are believed to be harmless and are commonly used for self-medication without supervision (Chitturi and Farrell, 2000;Pak et al, 2004;Mohanty et al, 2010).…”

“…It has been estimated that more than 80% of the developing world's population still depends on the complementary and alternative systems of medicine (Bodeker and Kronenberg, 2002). This increase in popularity or interest in alternative/herbal medicine for the prevention and treatment of various illnesses has also brought some concerns and fears over professionalism of practitioners, quality, efficacy and safety of the 'natural' formulations available on the market (Saad et al, 2006;Mohanty et al, 2010).…”

“…Accidental herbal toxicity occurs not only as a result of a lack of pharmaceutical quality control in harvesting and preparation, but also because herbal remedies are believed to be harmless (Saad et al, 2006). Important additional concerns are a confusing nomenclature, lack of quality control and accurate identification of plants coupled with the fact that there are no governmental regulations on the manufacture, purity, concentration, or labeling claims of herbal remedies and dietary supplements (Sudha et al, 2009).…”

Metal Concentration in Commonly Used Medicinal Herbs and Infusion by Lebanese Population: Health Impact

“…Despite recommendations to developing countries to investigate plants used in their traditional medicine as potential sources of new drugs (Samuelson, 1987) , such studies remain meager in many of these countries (Saad, Azaizeh, Abu-Hijleh, & Said, 2006;Saganuwan, 2010;Mati & De Boer, 2011). In Lebanon, research on medicinal plants has mainly focused on the identification and characterization of their essential oils and pharmacologically important secondary metabolites, and studies that compiled inventories of plants used in traditional medicine (ElBeyrouthy, Arnold, Annick, & Frederic, 2008).…”

Moderating effect of perceived risk on the relationship between product safety and intention

“…Commonly, the use of herbal products appears to be safe but not necessarily without adverse effect, it also can cause serious adverse effects (Bent, 2008;Bouldin et al, 1999;Sahoo, Manchikanti, & Dey, 2010). Adverse effect occurs due to the existence of poison found in herbal plants, pollution, and poor manufacturing practice (Balammal et al, 2012;Saad et al, 2006). These issues will affect the actual purchase of herbal products, by understanding that the buying pattern will help entrepreneurs in determining an effective marketing strategy (Kim & Chung, 2011) and also to ensure the continuity of business sustainability (Carneiro et al, 2005;Ibrahim & Najjar, 2008;Paul & Rana, 2012).…”