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Pure Appl. Chem., 2008, Vol. 80, No. 10, pp. 2195-2230

http://dx.doi.org/10.1351/pac200880102195

ORGANIC AND BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY DIVISION
SUBCOMMITTEE ON BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY

Protocols on safety, efficacy, standardization, and documentation of herbal medicine (IUPAC Technical Report)

M. Mosihuzzaman and M. Iqbal Choudhary

H. E. J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan

Abstract: This Technical Report compiles and analyzes the current scientific knowledge on herbal medicine and highlights the practical ways for ensuring the safety of herbal preparations and evaluating their claimed efficacy. Emphasis has been given to the methods for standardization of herbal medicine and the ways and means for moving forward to achieve the difficult goal of preparing herbal medicines of consistent quality and effects. Pragmatic approaches have been recommended to overcome the difficulties in (i) protecting intellectual property rights (IPR); (ii) producing safe, potent, standardized, and affordable herbal medicine; and (iii) documenting the knowledge base on herbal medicine in an easily accessible format.