Alternative medicine: herbal drugs and their critical appraisal--Part I

Among alternative therapeutic approaches that have shown global popularity during the past decades, herbal medicine stands out as a major concern in the countries where allopathic medicine prevails. The sales of herbal products as health care adjuvants in these countries have increased exponentially. Lack of quality control, commercial profiteering and exploitation leading to adulterations, lack of proper knowledge about the herbs and their contents that may exhibit drug-drug interactions and other adverse side-effects, and inappropriate usage of the herbal products have become a cause for concern in the health care professions, particularly in the United States. This review provides an incisive description of the known chemical, pharmacological, clinical and toxicological profiles of four of the most widely used herbal products.