Pharmacology Department, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
BMC Complement Altern Med. 2011 Nov 25;11:117. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-11-117.
Over three-quarter of the world's population is using herbal medicines with an increasing trend globally. Herbal medicines may be beneficial but are not completely harmless.This study aimed to assess the extent of use and the general knowledge of the benefits and safety of herbal medicines among urban residents in Lagos, Nigeria.
The study involved 388 participants recruited by cluster and random sampling techniques. Participants were interviewed with a structured open- and close-ended questionnaire.The information obtained comprises the demography and types of herbal medicines used by the respondents; indications for their use; the sources, benefits and adverse effects of the herbal medicines they used.
A total of 12 herbal medicines (crude or refined) were used by the respondents, either alone or in combination with other herbal medicines. Herbal medicines were reportedly used by 259 (66.8%) respondents. 'Agbo jedi-jedi' (35%) was the most frequently used herbal medicine preparation, followed by 'agbo-iba' (27.5%) and Oroki herbal mixture® (9%). Family and friends had a marked influence on 78.4% of the respondents who used herbal medicine preparations. Herbal medicines were considered safe by half of the respondents despite 20.8% of those who experienced mild to moderate adverse effects.
Herbal medicine is popular among the respondents but they appear to be ignorant of its potential toxicities. It may be necessary to evaluate the safety, efficacy and quality of herbal medicines and their products through randomised clinical trial studies. Public enlightenment programme about safe use of herbal medicines may be necessary as a means of minimizing the potential adverse effects.
全球超过四分之三的人口在使用草药，这一趋势在全球范围内呈上升趋势。草药可能有益，但并非完全无害。本研究旨在评估尼日利亚拉各斯市城市居民使用草药的程度以及他们对草药的益处和安全性的一般认识。
本研究涉及 388 名参与者，采用聚类和随机抽样技术招募。采用结构化的开放式和封闭式问卷对参与者进行访谈。获得的信息包括受访者的人口统计学和使用的草药类型；他们使用的药物的适应证；他们使用的草药的来源、益处和不良反应。
受访者单独或联合使用了总共 12 种（粗制或精制）草药。据报道，有 259 名（66.8%）受访者使用了草药。“Agbo jedi-jedi”（35%）是最常使用的草药制剂，其次是“agbo-iba”（27.5%）和 Oroki 草药混合物®（9%）。有 78.4%的受访者受到家庭和朋友的显著影响而使用草药制剂。尽管有 20.8%的受访者经历了轻微到中度的不良反应，但一半的受访者认为草药是安全的。
受访者普遍使用草药，但他们似乎对其潜在毒性一无所知。可能有必要通过随机临床试验研究评估草药及其产品的安全性、疗效和质量。开展关于安全使用草药的公众宣传活动可能是减少潜在不良反应的必要手段。
