ABSTRACT
Herbal medicine, the most major component of traditional medicine, is as old as recorded history. Beginning in the early 1800s, with the development in the science of chemistry, a new era in pharmacotherapeutics was initiated whereby active chemical ingredients in plants, historically known to produce a favorable therapeutic effect, were extracted, purified and their structure disclosed. This ushered the modern era of therapy with drugs based on exploration of pure chemical products as to chemical identity," physicochemical properties, pharmacodynamic actions, pharmacokinetic behavior in the biological system, toxicological profile and effective and safe application in therapy. This relegated herbal medicine to a secondary role. More recently, a revival in the use of herbal medicine has been witnessed, even in culturally advanced societies, probably enhanced by the false belief that natural products are safe and also by vigorous promotion. Parallel to the increase in the use of herbal preparations as remedies for major diseases, there is currently a growing concern about their efficacy, safety and control. This prompted the World Health Organization to come out with recommendations for control in the document "Research Guidelines for Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Herbal Medicines" in 1993. The guidelines are equal in strictness to those applicable for drugs in general. A large number of member states have adopted these guidelines. The dangers in using herbal preparations for treatment include: unproven therapeutic benefit * undisclosed toxicities interaction of the chemicals in herbal preparations with each other and with concomitantly taken drugs, at the level of functionally important biological entities such as the plasma proteins, receptors, ion channels, transporters and others * incompatibilities with patient-related factors such as age, sex, genetic background and the function of the organs responsible for eliminating the effects of chemicals in herbal preparations such as the liver or kidney * the difficulty in standardizing treatments and the inclusion of regular drugs with the herbal preparations without disclosure. In Lebanon, a committee is charged with the control of herbal preparations but a stricter control is required to handle preparations with a therapeutic claim as well as the issue of promotion
Subject(s)
Humans , Herbal Medicine/standards , Medicine, Traditional , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse ReactionsABSTRACT
Estudo descritivo objetivando verificar se os herbolários oferecem as informações corretas para a utilização das plantas medicinais; se orientam os clientes acerca das possíveis intoxicações ou interação com os alopáticos; e se utilizam critérios para a comercialização dos fitoterápicos. Utilizou-se um questionário contendo questões abertas e fechadas envolvendo aspectos da atuação dos herbolários com os fitoterápicos. Os herbolários conhecem a maioria das plantas medicinais, entretanto, há lacunas acerca da indicação correta desses produtos, dos efeitos colaterais e toxicidade. Os herbolários carecem conhecer melhor os princípios ativos das ervas, as indicações terapêuticas, orientar os usuários acerca das possíveis interações farmacológicas ou intoxicações medicamentosas e a respeito da limpeza, armazenamento, tempo de vida útil e contra-indicações do produto.
Descriptive study which aims to verify if the herbalist offer the information correct for the use of the medicinal plants; if they give for the customers concerning the possible poisonings or interaction with the allopathic guide and also if there is a criteria for the commercialization of the phytotherapics. A questionnaire was used containing open and closed questions involving aspects of the performance of the herbalists with the phytotherapics. The herbalists know the majority of the medicinal plants, however, there are some gaps concerning the correct indication of these products, of the collateral effect and toxicities. The herbalist lack to better know the principles of the grass, the therapeutically indications active, to guide the users concerning the possible pharmacological interactions or medicaments poisonings and regarding the cleanness, storage, time of useful life and contraindications of the product.
Estudio descriptivo con los objetivos de verificar se los herbolarios ofrecen las informaciones correctas para la utilización de las plantas medicinales; se orientan los clientes acerca de las posibles intoxicaciones o interaciones con los alopáticos y se utilizan critérios para la comercialización de los fitoterápicos. Se utilizó una encuesta conteniendo preguntas subjetivas y también objetivas tratando de aspectos de la actuación de los herbolarios con los fitoterápicos. Los herbolarios conocen la mayoría de las plantas medicinales, por lo tanto, hay huecos acerca de la indicación correcta de esos productos, de los efectos colaterales y de la toxicidad. Esos profesionales carecen conocer mejor los princípios activos de las hierbas, las indicaciones terapeuticas, orientar los usuários sobre las posibles interacciones farmacológicas o intoxicaciones medicamentosas y a respeto de puntos como limpieza, armazenamiento, tiempo de vida útil y contra-indicaciones del producto.