PHCOG MAG.: Recent Advances in Assay Methods and Techniques Preclinical Safety Studies on Medical Plants: Part II

The use of various herbal remedies and preparations is increasing globally for various prophylactic and therapeutic purposes. As the interest in phyto-medicines and the use of plant derived extracts increases, so does the need to improve not only quality control methods but also authentication methods in terms of safety and efficacy. "All substances are poisons; there is none which is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy" so said Paracelus many many years ago and today we adopt many approaches to identify this right dose range. Natural products have also fallen into this paradigms of efficacy and safety assessment, although recently. Some of the approaches to safety assessment of medicinal plants are highlighted in this review.