INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PHARMACY
Available online www.irjponline.com
ISSN 2230 – 8407
Review Article
STANDARDIZATION OF HERBAL DRUGS: AN OVERVIEW
Archana A. Bele*, Anubha Khale
H.K College of Pharmacy, Jogeshwari (W), M.S., India
Article Received on: 19/10/11 Revised on: 22/11/11 Approved for publication: 13/12/11
*Email: scientific.cell@hkcollege.ac.in
ABSTRACT
Herbal drugs have been used since ancient times as medicines for the treatment of a range of diseases. Medicinal plants have played a key role in world health. There is a growing focus on the importance of medicinal plants in the traditional health care system (viz. Ayurveda, Unani, Homoeopathy, Yoga) in solving health care problems.
Systematic approach and well-designed methodologies for the standardization of herbal raw materials and herbal formulations are developed. In view of the growing interest in herbal medicines, methods for standardization of herbal drugs are developed and used in different formulation.
Keywords: Herbal drugs, herbal raw material, herbal formulation, standardization.
INTRODUCTION
Standardization of drugs means confirmation of its identity and determination of its quality and purity. Phytotherapeutic agents or phytomedicines are standardized herbal preparations consisting of complex mixtures of one or more plants which are used in most countries for the management of various diseases. According to the
WHO definition, herbal drugs contain as active ingredients plant parts or plant materials in the crude or processed state plus certain excipients, i.e., solvents, diluents or preservatives.3
There are problems which may influence the quality of herbals
· Herbal drugs are usually mixtures of many constituents
· The active principles are, in most cases unknown
· Selective analytical methods or reference compounds may not be available commercially
· Plant materials are chemically and naturally
References: 1. Ansari S.H, “Standardization of crude drugs”, Essentials of Pharmacognosy, Ist edition, 2005;06:.14, 581. Tech. Oct.-Dec. 2008; 1(4) :310-312. 10. Sapna Shrikumar*, M. Uma Maheswari, A. Suganthi, T.K. Ravi, Pharma infonet vol 2, 2004. INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PHARMACY, 2(12), 2011