The WHO guidelines mentioned below [Table 1] have highlighted the need for efficacy evaluation, including determination of pharmacological and clinical effects of active substances, cultivation and collection of medicinal plants, and labelling, which includes a quantitative list of active substances, dosage and contraindications. The Indian holy books Vedas mention treatment with plants that are abundant in this land. Many spice plants still used today come from India: nutmeg, pepper, cloves, etc.[5] In Homer`s epics The Iliad and The Odyssey, written around 800 BC. 63 species of Minoan, Mycenaean and Egyptian-Assyrian pharmacotherapy plants have been mentioned. Some of them were named after mythological characters from these epics; For example, Elecampane (Inula helenium L. Asteraceae) was named in honor of Elena, who was the center of the Trojan War. Referring to plants of the genus Artemisia, believed to restore strength and protect health, its name is derived from the Greek word Artemis, which means “healthy”. [9] Herodotus (500 BC) referred to the oilseed plant of castor oil, Orpheus with fragrant hellebore and garlic, and Pythagoras with sea onion (Scilla maritima), mustard and cabbage. The works of Hippocrates (459-370 BC) contain 300 medicinal plants classified according to their physiological effects: wormwood and common centau (Centaurium umbellatum Gilib) were used against fever; garlic against intestinal parasites; Opium, henbanon, deadly nightshade and mandrake were used as narcotics; fragrant hellebore and hazel as an emetic; sea onions, celery, parsley, asparagus and garlic as diuretics; Oak and pomegranate as astringents. [10,11] As medicinal plant material moves from field to shelf, it can come into close contact with many sources of contamination.
The risks of contamination by heavy metals, pesticides and other agrochemicals are of particular concern to both farmers and buyers of medicinal plants. If impurities of this type are found in herbal medicines, they are likely to have negative consequences for the health of the consumer. Medicinal plants can be defined as plants that possess therapeutic properties or exert a positive pharmacological effect on the human or animal body. A common feature of most traditional medicine (TM)/complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) systems is that they take a holistic approach to promoting health, preventing disease, and helping individuals manage disorders by regulating their physical, emotional, and mental aspects and living environment. Depending on its properties and concepts, TM/CAM can be used not only to cure diseases and relieve symptoms, but also to regulate, improve and promote the functioning of the human body. Only a few plant species that provide medicinal herbs have been scientifically studied for their possible medical application. Safety and efficacy data are available for even fewer plants, their extracts and active substances and the preparations that contain them. In addition, the market for herbal medicines is poorly regulated in most countries and herbal products are often not registered or monitored. Ensuring the safety, quality and efficacy of medicinal plants and herbal products has become a key issue in both developed and developing countries. Both the general public and health professionals need up-to-date and authoritative information on the safety and efficacy of medicinal plants. With the widespread use of TM as well as CAM and the rapid expansion of international herbal medicine markets, the development of national TM/CAM guidelines and regulations has become a major concern for health authorities and the public. TCM/CAM providers, other healthcare professionals, and TCM/CAM consumers are calling for regulations that can ensure the safety of TM/CAM therapies and products, promote recognition of these systems and modalities, and further define their role in modern health systems.
National TM/CAM policies and regulations could ensure the safety, quality and efficacy of these therapies and products and are important steps towards inclusive health systems.