Bogusz Maciej J, al Tufail Mohammed, Hassan Huda
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Adverse Drug React Toxicol Rev. 2002;21(4):219-29. doi: 10.1007/BF03256198.
There is a rapidly growing trend in the consumption of herbal remedies in industrialised and developing countries. Users of herbal remedies are at risk of toxicity and adverse interactions of herbal preparations due to their frequent contamination with metals and adulteration with synthetic drugs. The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of herbal remedies present on the market in Saudi Arabia in recent years.
247 herbal remedies and related preparations were examined from 2000-2001 at the Toxicology Laboratory, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Herbal powder samples were the most common sample type examined (n = 80), followed by complete, packed preparations (n = 59), single undescribed capsules or pills (n = 46), loose plant leaves or seeds (n = 28), creams (n = 18) and liquid or jelly samples (n = 16). All samples were subjected to toxicological screening for organic substances using gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis, screening for heavy metals (arsenic, mercury, and lead) using inductive coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and microbiological examination.
The preparations analysed were used to treat the following indications: leukaemia and other forms of cancer (n = 22); obesity (n = 18); diabetes mellitus (n = 14); rheumatic disorders (n = 14); skin pigmentation problems (n = 11); or to enhance male sexual activity (n = 9). In 123 cases, the indication of use was not known. 39 samples contained high concentrations of heavy metals. This was particularly striking in remedies used to treat leukaemia (arsenic content of 522-161,600 ppm) and in creams for whitening skin (mercury content of 5,700-126,000 ppm). Eight preparations contained synthetic drugs (e.g. benzodiazepines and tricyclic antidepressants in sedative preparations, cyproheptadine in a remedy to gain bodyweight, ibuprofen and dipyrone in herbal capsules used to treat rheumatism). 18 samples were contaminated with micro-organisms. 14 samples contained toxic substances of natural origin. Of the 247 examined preparations, 77 (i.e. over 30%) were disqualified due to high heavy metals content, bacterial contamination or presence of toxic organic substances.
The study shows an urgent need to control the production, importing and selling of herbal preparations.
在工业化国家和发展中国家，草药疗法的消费呈快速增长趋势。草药疗法使用者面临草药制剂毒性和不良相互作用的风险，因为它们经常被金属污染以及被合成药物掺假。本研究的目的是评估近年来沙特阿拉伯市场上草药疗法的质量。
2000年至2001年期间，在沙特阿拉伯利雅得的法赫德国王专科医院和研究中心毒理学实验室对247种草药疗法及相关制剂进行了检查。草药粉末样本是检查最多的样本类型（n = 80），其次是完整的包装制剂（n = 59）、单一未描述的胶囊或药丸（n = 46）、松散的植物叶子或种子（n = 28）、乳膏（n = 18）以及液体或果冻样本（n = 16）。所有样本均采用气相色谱 - 质谱分析法进行有机物质毒理学筛查，采用电感耦合等离子体质谱法进行重金属（砷、汞和铅）筛查以及微生物检查。
所分析的制剂用于治疗以下病症：白血病和其他形式的癌症（n = 22）；肥胖症（n = 18）；糖尿病（n = 14）；风湿性疾病（n = 14）；皮肤色素沉着问题（n = 11）；或增强男性性功能（n = 9）。在123例中，使用指征不明。39个样本含有高浓度重金属。这在用于治疗白血病的疗法（砷含量为522 - 161,600 ppm）和美白皮肤的乳膏（汞含量为5,700 - 126,000 ppm）中尤为明显。8种制剂含有合成药物（例如镇静制剂中的苯二氮䓬类和三环类抗抑郁药、用于增加体重的疗法中的赛庚啶、用于治疗风湿病的草药胶囊中的布洛芬和安乃近）。18个样本被微生物污染。14个样本含有天然来源的有毒物质。在所检查的247种制剂中，77种（即超过30%）因重金属含量高、细菌污染或存在有毒有机物质而不合格。
该研究表明迫切需要控制草药制剂的生产、进口和销售。
