| dc.description.abstract | The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined a medicinal plant as any plant in which one or more of its parts consists of substances that are used for the synthesis of beneficial drugs [1]. These plants need to be studied to better comprehend their characteristics, safety, and efficacy [2]. They comprise biologically active chemicals, including saponins, tannins, essential oil flavonoids, and alkaloids, among others [3], which all serve remedial purposes. It is estimated that 30 000–70 000 medicinal plants exist worldwide, most of which have not been systematically investigated [4]. Generally, herbal products are safer than conventional medications. While monitoring thousands of people who used ginkgo, St. John’s wort, and kava in Europe, a study revealed that mild adverse effects were encountered in fewer than 3% of users [5]. Controlled studies of other common European herbal medicines, such as Echinacea, horse chestnut, saw palmetto, and valerian, have shown rare and mild side effects, generally similar to those seen in placebo groups [6–9]. The relative scarcity of severe adverse effects from herbal medicinal products most likely reflects a combination of factors that set them apart from conventional drugs, including weaker and less potent pharmacological activity, less consistent usage, and a poorly established mechanism for distinguishing and reporting adverse outcomes | |
