Page 42 - Pharmacognosy-II (06-PG 303)

- Most natural products should be discontinued during pregnancy or lactation and not for young
children.

- Excessive combination of large number of herbals can be a potential problem because each plant
contains numerous active components. Most recent researches with herbal preparations (uni-, bi-,
multi-component) and OTC medications has shown that more than two or three ingredients in one
product is not always correct (i.e. efficacy, safety, toxicity, etc…)

- Excessive dosages of phytomedicine should be avoided, because many herbs are considered mild,
the tendency is to use them for prolonged periods of time or to use too much at one time (i.e. duration
of use may lead to acute or delayed toxicity. This may be due to cumulative, synergistic effects,
idiosyncrasy, etc…).

- Generally, natural products should not be used for serious health conditions (cardiac, liver
diseases, diabetes mellitus, cancer, AIDS, viral and bacterial infections, etc…) without the advice and
supervision of a qualified health practitioner. Most natural products are intended to treat mild, short-
term disorders (e.g. headache, insomnia, dyspepsia, constipation, mechanical diarrhea, mild intestinal
spasm, etc..).

- Natural products that cause undesirable side-effects, allergic reactions, etc.. should be discontinued
even if it shows successful results with others (may be due to specific or personal hypersensitivity)

N. B. Food-stuffs of herbal sources are very good supply of bio-available, biologically important
factors, essential for body organs and cellular structure to build, prophylactic, preventive,
correct, regenerate, adopt, treat, etc…
The lectures will deal with herbalism, recent concept and approaches of herbal remedies, health food
and recent and renewed interest in some old remedies, safety, difficulties, side-effects, precautions,
FDA, FAC, etc.. regulations, in addition to different methods of identification (Identity and Purity
assurance) as crude drugs and in their preparations and detection of possible adulterants.

CRITERIA TO ESTABLISH THE AUTHENTICITY OF DRUGS OF

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