Promoting African Medicinal Plants through an African Herbal Pharmacopoeia

Various resolutions adopted by the World Health Assembly and Regional Committee for Africa call upon Member States; among others things; to develop herbal pharmacopoeias and to develop and apply scientific criteria and methods for proof of safety and efficacy of medicinal plant products. However; only few countries have developed national herbal pharmacopoeias; limited plant species that provide medicinal herbs have been scientifically evaluated for their possible medical applications; and the safety and efficacy data are available for even fewer herbs. Without well documented information on the safety; efficacy and phytochemical characteristics of different compounds; it is difficult for external buyers to assess the likely utility or value of some new raw materials and extracts of African origin. In order to address these lacunae; the Association of African Medicinal Plants Standards is developing an African Herbal Pharmacopeia with trading standards which provide information and technical data on some 50 important medicinal plants. The objective of developing the monographs is to ensure that these plants become visible on the world market. The monographs lay emphasis on the quality control issues; dosage; use; efficacy; pharmacology and safety of important Africanmedicinal plants

Etnobotánica médica de los indígenas chorote y su comparación con la de los criollos del Chaco semiárido (Argentina) / Medical ethnobotany of the Chorote Indians and their comparison with that of the Creoles of the Chaco semiárido (Argentina)

Se identifica la farmacopea vegetal que utilizan actualmente los indígenas Chorote del Chaco semiárido argentino. Se registraron 69 especies vegetales, 2 especies de hongos y un liquen con 194 usos medicinales. Se destaca el bajo porcentaje de este tipo de usos respecto al total de datos etnobotánicos recopilados para los Chorote (15 %). De su comparación con la farmacopea criolla se desprende que el 52 % de los datos resulta idéntico, por lo que se concluye que los Chorote habrían adquirido estas prácticas a manera de préstamo cultural. La farmacopea de este pueblo, entonces, fue muy reducida debido a que su medicina tradicional de corte chamanístico no involucraba antaño el uso de remedios de origen vegetal. Entre las plantas medicinales típicamente Chorote se pueden citar a Achatocarpus praecox, Cleistocactus baumannii, Echinopsis rhodotricha y Funastrum clausum. Los usos estrictamente Chorote quedarían así reducidos a 90 aplicaciones en total, principalmente como antiemenagogos, antidiarreicos, antitusivos y cicatrizantes.

Plantas medicinales caribeñas para la atención primaria: manual práctico / Caribbean medicinal plants for primary care: practical manual

Sobre la base del primer manual de difusión, este trabajo pretende extender esta información a toda la Cuenca Caribeña hispanohablante para el aprovechamiento del recurso. Las denominaciones de los problemas de salud y los nombres populares de las plantas proceden de los usos significativos de las encuestas TRAMIL. El presente manual está dirigido principalmente al personal de salud de base y a facilitar las tareas de difusión en la población.

Otimização e validação de método farmacopeico para verificar possíveis desvios de qualidade de matérias primas e cápsulas manipuladas contendo hormônios tireoidianos / Optimization and validation of the pharmacopeial method for verifying the potential quality deviations of drug raw materials and compounded oral capsules of thyroid hormones

Os hormônios tireoidianos levotiroxina (T4) e liotironina (T3), utilizados no hipotireoidismo, controlam a velocidade das funções químicas corpóreas. Os objetivos deste estudo foram otimizar e validar a técnica de CLAE-UV a partir da descrita na farmacopéia americana 28a. ed., para determinar T3 e T4 com um fator de resolução igual ou maior que 5 entre o maior componente e seu contaminante, e aplicá-la com eficiência na verificação da qualidade de formulações farmacêuticas manipuladas. A otimização do método foi alcançada com a fase móvel de 52:50 (água acidificada com ácido fosfórico: acetonitrila), temperatura 27°C e fluxo de 1,6mL. min-1, empregando-se a coluna de 250 x 4,6mm constituída de grupos nitrila ligados quimicamente a partículas de sílica porosa de 3 a 10m e detecção em 238nm. O número de pratos teóricos acima de 8500 e a resolução de 5,12, indicam excelente eficiência do sistema cromatográfico otimizado. Foram detectados graves desvios de qualidade nas cápsulas manipuladas de T3 e ou T4, pois foram encontrados valores de super-dosagem que levaram os pacientes a internação hospitalar e mesmo a óbito por intoxicação causada por esses hormônios. Os resultados obtidos expõem as limitações técnicas dos processos de manipulação, assim como a ausência do controle de qualidade do produto acabado, o uso desses medicamentos constitui um risco sanitário.

Contribution a la connaissance des plantes medicinales utilisees dans les soins infantiles en pays San; au Burkina Faso

La presente etude contribue a la connaissance des plantes medicinales et des recettes medicamenteuses utilisees dans les soins infantiles au Pays San; situe au Nord-ouest du Burkina Faso. A la suite d'enquetes ethnobotaniques; 50 tradipraticiens de sante; ayant au moins 15 ans d'experience ont ete interroges. La technique utilisee etait l'entretien semi-directif a partir d'un questionnaire elabore. Au total 79 especes medicinales ont ete recensees; reparties en 69 genres et 34 familles dont les mieux representees sont les Ceasalpiniaceae (7 genres et 9 especes); les Mimosaceae (6 genres et 9 especes); les Combretaceae (4 genres et 8 especes) et les Anacardiaceae (4 genres et 5 especes). Quelques 90de ces especes sont des plantes ligneuses (arbres; arbustes; lianes et sous-arbrisseaux). Isolees ou en association; ces plantes entrent dans la formulation de 167 recettes medicamenteuses; et les feuilles constituent les principaux organes sollicites. La decoction et la boisson sont predominantes pour l'acquisition et l'administration des remedes respectivement. Le paludisme et la diarrhee sont les plus cites sur les 34 maladies infantiles recensees

Adaptabilité des conditions d'enregistrement des médicaments génériques en Côte d'Ivoire aux médicaments traditionnels ameliorés

L'interet de plus en plus croissant de la communaute internationale a l'egard des therapeutiques traditionnelles et la place de la medecine traditionnelle dans la demande de soins necessite de la part des autorites africaines de creer un cadre juridique pour une meilleure integration de la medecine dans les systemes conventionnels de sante. Aussi compte tenu de la place du medicament dans l'offre de sante; nous est-il paru opportun d'analyser un modele simplifie d'enregistrement des medicaments tel celui des medicaments generiques afin d'en evaluer l'adaptabilite aux medicaments traditionnels ameliores (MTA). Notre methodologie a consiste a recueillir aupres des administrations ubliques les textes legislatifs et reglementaires concernant les medicaments generiques et leurs conditions d'enregistrement en Cote d'Ivoire. L'analyse critique de ces dispositions mises en rapport avec les specificites de ces medicaments issus de la pharmacopee africaine a ete effectuee. Il ressort de ce travail que malgre la simplification de la procedure d'enregistrement des medicaments generiques; son adaptabilite aux MTA demeure encore problematique. En effet les etudes pharmacologiques; galeniques; toxicologiques et les essais cliniques restent difficiles a mettre en oeuvre conformement aux exigences internationales en ce qui concerne de tels medicaments. Il reste donc ux africains d'innover par la mise en place d'une reglementation souple qui tout en assurant une securite d'utilisation aux patients; permettrait un enregistrement facile des edicaments issus de la pharmacopee africaine

Physicochemical quality control of senna products from Iranian phytopharmaceutics

There is an increasing attention to and usage of herbal drugs around the world. Medicinal products containing senna herb are very popular herbal remedies. In order to assess the quality of Iranian herbal products, as a part of national effort to achieve profile of quality of pharmaceuticals, this study was designed to evaluate the quality of products containing senna herb. Samples were purchased directly from drugstores in Tehran in 2002. The comparative study was conducted according to pharmacopoeial procedures. Also Iranian products were compared to appropriate forign known-brands. Some defects were observed in Iranian products in respects to uniformity of contents and weights, and even content of the dosage forms. But in total, most of the products were found to be acceptable and at appropriate quality

Evaluation of availability, accessibility and prescribing pattern of medicines in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Prescribing, dispensing, availability and affordability of drugs were evaluated in 100 primary health care centres in 5 provinces of the Islamic Republic of Iran using WHO indicators. On average, 92% of the 12 essential drugs monitored were available in the health centre pharmacies and 95% of the drugs prescribed by the physician were dispensed by the health centre pharmacy. The stock-out duration was less than 1 month on average. A complete treatment for pneumonia cost only 2% of the lowest weekly government salary. The national average number of drugs per prescription was 3.4. Prescription of antibiotics and injectable drugs was very high [58% and 41% respectively]. Although availability and affordability of essential drugs is good in this country, rational use of drugs needs to be emphasized

Manual de cultivo y conservación de plantas medicinales. Tomo 3: Árboles dominicanos / Manual of cultivation and conservation of medicinal plants. Take 3: Dominican trees

Este manual de cultivo y conservación de plantas medicinales constituye a sumar esfuerzos que fortalezcan las actividades de manejo y cuidado de las mismas, ya que cuentan con una variabilidad de usos y adaptaciones a diferentes condiciones climáticas.

Preliminary study on fatty oil extracted from seeds of Delavaya toxocarpa French

The material is seeds of Delavaya toxocarpa French harvested in Cao Bang province in 1999, 2000 and 2001. Fatty oil was quantified by weighing method. The indices of fatty oil were identified in relation to Vietnamese Pharmacopoeia. The fatty acid ingredients were analysed by gas chromatography (GC). The results showed that the fatty oil content in Delavaya toxocarpa French seeds was high (39.63+/-0.836), acidic index was 37.651+/-0.836, iodine index was 69.615+/-1.076, soap index was 180.762+/-3.382. The fatty oil included palmitic, oleic, linoleic, stearic, gadoleic and arachidic acids. Among these, oleic and gadoleic acids had the highest content

Study on elaboration of refinement method for officinal starch of jambose

Study quality of 10 tapioca starch samples, which were used to make excipient pill in some medicine enterprises in Ha Noi and Central area based on of standard II part 3 of Vietnam pharmacopoeia and 24 America pharmacopoeia. Result showed: most of tapioca starch that used to make excipient in the enterprises had low quality. The study constructed elaboration of refinement method for jambose tapioca starch come up to starch of jambose standard of America pharmacopoiea 24. Base on the process of purify tapioca starch can purify tapioca starch with big size and get to high quality.

The Committee of Vietnam Pharmacopoeia (CVP), a stage of 35 years

The committee of Vietnam Pharmacopoeia have been established since July 1963. Mission is to build a pharmacopoeia. Its content comprises national standards of quality for domestic drugs. Committee have been organized compilation and publication of Vietnamese Pharmacopoeia No I including 2 volume: volume I (1971), Volume II (1983). Vietnamese Pharmacopoeia NoII including volume I (1990), Volume II (1991), Volume III (1994). Supplemental volume comprise 32 standards about vaccine and vaccine test methods.

Farmacopea de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos: séptima edición / Pharmacopeia of the Estados Unidos Mexicanos: seventhth edition

La Farmacopea de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos es el instrumento legal que norma la elaboración y la calidad de medicamentos, incluyendo procesos, técnicas, materiales y materias primas. Esta edición consta de dos tomos. I) Prólogo. Comisión Permanente de la Farmacopea de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos. Historia de la farmacopea mexicana. Legislación sanitaria. Generalidades. Pruebas básicas para sustancia farmacéuticas. Métodos generales de análisis. Envases primarios. Aditivos. Monografías de fármacos. II) Monografías de preparados farmacéuticos. Monografías de perfiles de solución. Métodos de productos biológicos. Monografías de productos biológicos. Monografías de hemoderivados. Estadística para ensayos biológicos. Indice analítico