Overview of Traditional Herbal Remedies For Primary Health Care

ABSTRACT

Herbal medicines constitute the main component of traditional medicine, which have been used since thousands of years. At present, the use of medicinal plants for health benefits is increasing worldwide. Although therapies involving these agents have shown promising potential with the efficacy of a good number of herbal products clearly established, many of them remain untested and their use are either poorly monitored or not even monitored at all. Since safety continues to be a major issue with the use of herbal remedies, it becomes imperative, therefore, that relevant regulatory authorities put in place appropriate measures to protect public health by ensuring that all herbal medicines are safe and of suitable quality. Natural products and traditional medicines are of great importance. When used to develop new drugs, natural products and traditional medicines have their incomparable advantages, such as abundant clinical experiences, and their unique diversity of chemical structures and biological activities. This study aims to review the literature on the relationship among natural products, traditional medicines, formulation studies, and also highlights some important challenges associated with effective monitoring of their safety.

Keywords: Natural products, Traditional medicine, Formulation, Monitoring safety, Public health.