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Botanical Pharmacology: The Composition and Regulation of Herbal Medicinal Products
Herbal medicinal products (HMPs) are defined as therapeutic substances derived exclusively from whole plants, plant parts, or plant extracts. Unlike isolated synthetic drugs, HMPs contain complex mixtures of phytochemicals—such as alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenes—that often work synergistically to produce a physiological effect.
Standardization and Quality Control
A primary challenge in herbal medicine is ensuring batch-to-batch consistency. Because plant chemistry varies based on soil quality, climate, and harvest time, modern HMPs utilize "marker compounds" to standardize extracts. This ensures that each dose contains a specific, measurable amount of the active ingredient, mirroring the precision of conventional pharmaceuticals.
Integration with Modern Medicine
The transition of HMPs into mainstream healthcare is supported by pharmacognosy, the study of medicines derived from natural sources. Many conventional drugs, such as artemisinin (for malaria) and taxanes (for cancer), originated as herbal extracts. Today, regulatory bodies like the European Medicines Agency (EMA) provide monographs that evaluate the safety…