Standardization of Medicinal Plants and their Herbal Products and Functional Foods

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 M.Sc. Student, Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemical Technologies, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant professor, Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemical Technologies, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

In the last decade acceptance and popularity of using medicinal plants, herbal medicines and functional foods have increased in both developed and developing countries. The Efficacy of herbal products is dependent on the appropriate concentration of active ingredients during processing, storage and consumption. Standardization of medicinal plants and herbal products means adjusting the herbal products preparation to a defined content of a constituent known therapeutic activity that cause herbal products be safe, potent, effective and stable. Standardization should encompass the entire field of study from cultivation of medicinal plant to its clinical applications. Biological and chemical contaminants should be limited as much as possible in herbal compounds. Quality, safety and efficacy of herbal products are influenced by contaminates such as microorganisms, heavy metals, pesticides and etc. Many testing procedures have been performed for determination of the residue of pesticides, toxic metals and microbial count to minimize their effect on the final products. Chromatographic and spectroscopic methods have important roles in quality control of herbal products. Because of the importance of standardization in the quality control of medicinal plants and their herbal products, in this review article, the standardization of medicinal plants and their herbal products due to the physical, biological and chemical aspects has been discussed.

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Main Subjects


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