EVALUATION OF PHYTOTHERAPHIC APPLICATIONS IN TOXICOLOGICAL TERMS WITH IN THE SCOPE OF TRADITIONAL AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE

Abstract

Phytotherapy is described as an application done by using herbs medical effects of which are scientifically proved; the parts of them containing active ingredients and/or their organic products produced through a transaction and based on these the standardised pharmaceutic forms (pellet, capsule, tincture…) and herbal medicinal products so as to be protected from disease and to support the treatment.

The origin of herbal medicine is based on hundreds of years ago. Ninova Tablets which are the first written documents on this subject and belong to the year 3000 B.C. prove there are treatments with herbal and animal drugs in Mesopotamia. In the period of Islamic Civilization Ebu Reyhan, Ibn-i Sina (Avicenna) who is the writer of the work “The Canon of Medicine” and Al Gafinihave written important Works about herbal medicine. 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) accepts medicinal plants in 1980 by defining them as “a kind of herb which can be theurepathic or inhibitory with its one or more organs or may be the precurs or of any chemical pharmaceutical synthesis.”

It should be kept in mind that what is organic is not always healthy. Most of herbs are seriously toxican damong other complementary therapies phytotheraphy is riskier in terms of side effects and toxicity. Herbal products and medicinal herbs may exhibit severe toxic reactions when not used in appropriate doses and duration, and they may even be lethal. It is reported that herbal medicines show side effects and even lethal effects as a result of their contamination with pesticides, heavy metals, and other herbal and synthetic drugs.

In the evaluation of phytotheraphy applications in toxicological terms, factors such as dose, duration and type of exposition, medicine interaction; effective substance interaction, interaction between medicine and food; gender, age, ethnicity, pregnancy, adverse effects etc. should be taken into account.

Taking herbal medicines into analyses of activity and toxicity, as done for synthetic medicines, and getting them licensed by medical authorities will increase their reliability.

Phytotheraphy should be used wisely in the light of scientific literature in order to protect public health with effective and safe herbal products and to contribute to the treatment.

Keywords

• EVALUATION OF PHYTOTHERAPHIC APPLICATIONS IN TOXICOLOGICAL TERMS WITH IN THE SCOPE OF TRADITIONAL AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE

Kaynakça

1. Günnur ORHAN, Selçuk Salim ERDOĞAN, Taşkın ATAK The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkey Turkish Public Health Institution Department of Consumer Safety Laboratories Toxicology Loboratories