Herbal remedies are plants used as medicine. People use herbal remedies to help prevent or cure disease. They use them to get relief from symptoms, boost energy, relax, or lose weight. Herbal remedies are a type of dietary supplement. They are not medicines. Herbals are not regulated like medicines. Herbals do not need to be rigidly tested before they are sold. Herbals may not work as claimed. Labels do not need to be approved. It may not list the correct amount of an ingredient.

1. HERBAL REMEDIES
By- Durgashree M D
Advance Pharmacognosy 2
Dept of Pharmacognosy
KLE College of Pharmacy, Bengaluru
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2. Content
Herbal Remedies
Herbal vs Conventional Drugs
Efficacy of Herbal medicine
products
Validation of Herbal Therapy
Pharmacodynamics and
Pharmacokinetics issues
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3. Herbal Remedies
• Herbal remedies are plants used as
medicine.
• People use herbal remedies to help prevent
or cure disease.
• They use them to get relief from symptoms,
boost energy, relax, or lose weight.
3

4. Herbal
Remedies
• Herbal Remedies can be prepared at
home in many ways.
Infusions
Herbal Teas
Decoction.
Syrups
Tinctures
Poultices
• Purchased in form of pills, capsules,
powders, etc. [1]
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5. • Herbal remedies are a type of dietary
supplement. They are not medicines.
Herbals are not regulated like medicines.
Herbals do not need to be rigidly tested
before they are sold.
Herbals may not work as claimed.
Labels do not need to be approved.
It may not list the correct amount of an
ingredient.
Some herbal remedies may contain
contaminants. [2]
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6. • It is considered medicinal only when it has the pharmacological activity
of possible therapeutic use.
• Activities are known as the results of millennia.
• Investigate to develop of New drugs. [1]
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7. Stages in herbal Drug Development
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8. Herbal versus Conventional Drugs
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9. Herbal versus Conventional Drugs
Herbals Conventional Drugs
Complex formulation. Single agent.
Administering chemical compounds in the
plant matrix.
Administering Pure chemical isolated from the
same plant or different origin
Synergic effect Adverse effect
Consider whole body as one Target specific organ
Preventive action Treatment for disease.
[1]
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10. Cont.
 These are phytochemical compounds used for the treatment of many
diseases.
 Herbs have active ingredients which act as drugs e.g. opiate, digitalis,
and taxol.
 Herbs/medicinal plants/homemade remedies are less expensive than
synthetic drugs
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11. Cont.
 Most people in rural/backward areas have blind
faith in Herbals.
 This is because they can treat any disease
without any lethal side effects.
 Even they are also widely used for enhancing
the beauty and for curing skin-related issues
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12. Cont.
 Synthetic drugs are synthesized in the laboratory
 These are the medicines that are not found in nature.
 Although herbal medicines are less potent in comparison to synthetic
drugs
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13. Cont.
 Herbals are considered less toxic or have fewer side effects in contrast to
synthetic drugs.
 The ultimate norm for any medicine (human-made or natural) is its
nontoxicity, effectiveness, specificity, stability, and potency.
 Now many chemists switching their field from synthetic to natural side to
explore nature more and more.
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14. Cont.
 Synthetic drugs not only cure the disease but also causes
severe side effect to the human body.
e.g.
 Paracetamol causes liver poisoning (a major side effect).
 Naproxen causes gastrointestinal side effects.
 Ibuprofen -causes nephrotoxicity including renal failure.
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15. Cont.
• Not only herbs but also spices including turmeric, cloves, cinnamon,
and chilies may possess some medicinal effects on the human body.
• For example, turmeric contains curcumin (e.g, inflammation, depression,
pain, arthritis, skin diseases, etc.)
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16. • Consider natural drugs which
can reduce the side effects, and
toxicities of synthetic
counterparts.
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17. Efficacy of Herbal Medicinal Products
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18. Cont.
Herbal medicines can be tested for their efficacy.
Public are often misled that herbals are safe.
Recognize the harmful effect of herbals by studying efficacy.
Because of the current popularity of herbal medicine.
Research work should be intensified.
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19. Cont.
Herbal medicines usually contain a range of
pharmacologically active compounds;
In some cases, it is not known which ingredients are
important for the therapeutic effect.
Many herbalists believe that isolated ingredients have weaker
clinical effects than whole plant extracts.
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20. Cont.
• The multi-ingredient character of herbal medicines- efficacy
testing more complex than synthetic drugs.
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21. Cont.
 Standardization can, however, only
cover one or two ingredients.
 Full product characterization and
quality control- scientific tests of
herbal remedies.
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22. Cont.
Garlic-
Efficacy
Fresh garlic bulbs dried and powdered or oil extracted
from the bulb are used for medicinal purposes.
The active constituents include alliin, allinase,
diallyldisulphide, ajoens, and others.
Alliin is enzymatically converted to allicin.
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23. Pharmacological Effect of Garlic
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24. Cont.
 Its best-researched clinical effect -lowering total
serum cholesterol levels, (inhibition of hepatic
cholesterol synthesis).
 Numerous RCTs demonstrated a significant
reduction of total cholesterol and low-density
lipoprotein.
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25. Cont.
• Blood pressure-lowering effects, and
antihypertensive effects.
• Prevent or delay the development of
arteriosclerosis.
• A protective effect for malignancies, (intestinal
cancers).
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26. Cont.
 A recent RCT - high-dose garlic consumption
reduces the frequency of tick bites in a tick-
endemic area.
 Garlic’s anti-microbial activities in vivo, are not
supported by compelling evidence.
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27. Cont.
 The recommended dosage- 4 g of fresh garlic daily,
(8 mg garlic oil or 600– 900 mg garlic powder) [1.3%
alliin content].
 Patients with bleeding abnormalities- uncontrolled
use of garlic supplements.
 It is recommended that garlic supplements should be
discontinued before major surgery.
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28. Cont.
 Adverse effects of garlic are usually mild and
transient
 they include- breath and body odor, allergic
reactions, nausea, heartburn, and flatulence.
 Garlic can increase the effect of anti-coagulants.
 Also enhance the hypoglycaemic effects of anti-
diabetic medications. [3]
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29. Validation of Herbal Therapies
• The action of checking or proving the validity or
accuracy of something.
• All medicines, should fulfill the basic requirements
of being safe and effective
• The main obstacle to the growth of herbal medicine
is its quality control.
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30. Cont.
 Several problems that influence the quality of herbal drugs.
1. Many constituents.
2. Active principle in most cases is unknown.
3. Analytical methods may not be available commercially.
4. Plant materials are chemically and naturally variable.
5. The source and quality of the raw material are variable
6. The methods of harvesting, drying, storage, transportation, etc.. [5]
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31. Cont.
• The scientific validation by standardization,
evaluation of purity, and demonstration of its
efficacy in animal models and in humans will
increase the trust of users and increase its
acceptability. [4]
• Standardization requirement is because of
Variation in Plant materials.
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32. Cont.
• Standardization of herbal medicines is an assurance of
quality,
efficacy,
safety, and
reproducibility.
• Hence standardization is a tool in the quality control process.
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33. Cont.
Standardization and quality
control of herbal crude drugs –
Processes and procedures
1. Macro and microscopic
examination
2. Foreign organic matter
3. Ash values
4. Moisture content
5. Extractive values
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34. Cont.
6. Crude fiber
7. Qualitative chemical
evaluation (Phytochemical
screening)
8. Chromatographic
examination
9. Quantitative chemical
evaluation
10. Toxicological studies
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35. Pharmacokinetic and Dynamic Issues
 In recent years, the combined use of Herbal medicines and Western
drugs is increasing.
 It is reported that some herbal medicines such as St. John’s wort,
garlic, ginseng, and ginkgo, have given rise to clinical interactions
when co-administered with prescription medicines.
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36. Cont.
• Interactions between herbal and prescription medications may be
caused by either pharmacodynamic or pharmacokinetic mechanisms.
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37. Cont.
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38. Pharmacodynamics Issues
 It is related to the pharmacologic activity of interacting agents and can
affect organ systems, receptor sites, or enzymes.
• Herbals- Antiplatelet Activity
• Drugs- Anticoagulant activity
Bleeding Risk
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39. Pharmacokinetic Issues
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41. References
1. Quality control of Herbal drugs- Dr. Pulok K. Mukherjee.
2. A guide to Herbal Remedies. (https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000868.htm)
3. The efficacy of Herbal Medicine- an overview.
(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16011726/#:~:text=Even%20though%20several%20differen
ces%20exist,be%20efficacious%20for%20specific%20conditions.)
4. Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine. (https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-
13-7248-
3_34#:~:text=The%20main%20obstacle%20to%20the,users%20and%20increase%20its%20acc
eptability.)
5. Standardization of herbal medicines - A review- Kunle, Oluyemisi Folashade
6. Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic interactions between herbs and western drugs- Ju-
Young Lee
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