Herbal medicines, including herbs, herbal preparations and finished herbal products, contain as active ingredients parts of plants or other plant materials perceived to have therapeutic benefits [1]. About 80% of the worldwide population use herbal products for their basic health care (primary care) such as extracts, teas and other active principles, a market estimated at US$ 50 billion per yea...

The use of herbal products to treat a wide range of conditions is rapidly leading to increased intake of phytochemicals. This is one of the main reasons for reinforcing the surveillance of the safety, efficacy and quality control of traditional and complementary medicines. Herbal preparations can interact with a drug at pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and pharmacogenetic levels. In this articl...

OBJECTIVE With the growing interest in herbal therapies among persons with rheumatoid arthritis, there exists a need for investigation into their safety and efficacy. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review to examine the evidence for the use of herbal medicines for RA based on randomized clinical trials (RCTs). METHODS A computerized search of eight electronic databases ...

Treatment with herbal medicines is very popular in Europe. In order to get information on the evidence of effectiveness of oral herbal medicines in the treatment of pain in the joints or lower back, OVID(MEDLINE), PUBMED and COCHRANE COLLABORATION LIBRARY were searched back to 1985 for systematic reviews. The level of evidence of effectiveness was defined as strong – at least two confirmatory s...

Three of the factors limiting the rational use of herbal medicine are uncertainty on effectivity, uncertainty on safety and variation in quality of the product. Because many herbal medicines have been used over centuries by indigenous peoples, the safety and effectivity is frequently not such a big concern. With more people collecting and distributing herbal medicine, the offered product is how...

BACKGROUND Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of death. Interventions to reduce mortality in patients with NSCLC represent a patient-important field of research. Little is known about interventions used outside the Western world for NSCLC. One intervention widely used in Asia is astragalus-based herbal preparations. METHODS We conducted a comprehensive systematic review of ...

Plant-based hypoglycemic therapeutics have been increasing in consumption due to the escalation of type 2 diabetes and its related complications. However, safety preparations is little understood. Parabens (alkyl esters p-hydroxybenzoic acid) are widely used as preservatives these pharmaceuticals. presence methylparaben formulations raises anxiety potential endocrine disruption functions. Endoc...

The word mother itself is symbolic to God. Mother suffers much distress after childbirth due painful perineum. Pain following episiotomy appears be universal. Proper healing of wound delivery a major concern. In Ayurvedic classics Ghritkumari (Aloe vera) has been mentioned as Varna Ropaka and Vishvataghani its Sheeta properties. Various studies have demonstrated the power Aloevera on moisturizi...

INTRODUCTION Fucus vesiculosus is a marine alga rich in iodine, which is being used in alternative medicine as a laxative, diuretic, and as a complement for weight loss diets. CASE REPORT We report the case of a 60-year old male patient, diagnosed with bipolar disorder and under treatment with lithium concomitantly with a herbal preparation, including Fucus vesiculosus, as a laxative. He deve...