Standardisation of Herbal Extracts

Pharmocognosy - study of biochemical aspects of natural products - works from the knowledge that 'natural' does not necessarily mean 'safe,' and that raw herbs vary greatly in strength. Pharmocognosy seeks to standardise herbal products so that they consistently include the same amounts of active ingredients and are free from any harmful components that the plant may contain. This is especially required as each herb may hold many other active chemical ingredients while harboring some helpful and some dangerous chemicals at the same time; it is also a known fact that some active constituents may be therapeutic in one amount and deadly in a slightly larger amount.

Herbal medicines are classified as dietary supplements instead of medicines in the United States of America. While disowning the benefits or the problems associated with herbal extracts, the Dietary Supplement Health Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) has shifted a lot of responsibility for product quality to the manufacturers of these 'supplements.' The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the way that herbal products are manufactured.

The concentration of medicinal compounds in herbs varies a lot from one kind of plant to another. For instance, a teaspoon of dried peppermint leaves is good enough to make a tea that is effective in calming an upset stomach. But a tea made from a teaspoon of gingko leaves would have not effect at all in restoring memory - it would require many pounds of gingko leaves to make one effective dose that should be repeated regularly over a period of time!

So how do we know the herbal product we bought is concentrated enough to do any good? This is usually known immediately by looking at the manufacturer's label. If the product has been standardised, it means that the required concentration of the active concentration, on which research is done, is ensured in the product.