Authentication & Quality Assurance of Herbal Drugs
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Abstract
The standardization of herbal drugs, their authentication and quality assurance are crucial elements in ensuring the safety, efficacy and reproducibility of herbal medicines. As the world becomes increasingly dependent on plant-based therapeutics, variability in raw materials, adulteration, and inconsistent therapeutic results have emerged as pressing concerns. Standardization is the process of setting standard physical, chemical and biological parameters for herbal drugs, so that uniformity in composition and performance is ensured. Authentication refers to the proper identification of medicinal plants using macroscopic, microscopic, phytochemical and molecular methods to prevent substitution and adulteration. Modern methods such as DNA barcoding, chromatographic profiling and spectroscopic analysis complement traditional pharmacognostic techniques and improve accuracy in plant identification. Quality assurance encompasses all systematic activities across the supply chain, from cultivation, harvesting and processing to storage and packaging, to ensure the integrity and therapeutic value of herbal products. This combined methodology guarantees compliance with pharmacopoeial standards and regulatory provisions, enhances consumer confidence, promotes international recognition of herbal medicines, and supports the sustainable use of medicinal plant resources through Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
Author Affiliations
- 1 Tulaskar College of Pharmacy, Hinganghat, Dist. Wardha 442301, Maharashtra, India.
- 2 Jagadambha Institute of Pharmacy and Research, Kalamb, Dist. Yavatmal 445001, Maharashtra, India.
- 3 Shri Laxmanrao Mankar Institute of Pharmacy, Amgaon, Maharashtra, India.