Abstract:

There has been an upsurge in the consumption of herbal remedies due to its availability, increased popularity, poor medical services and inequalities in health service distribution in developing countries. However, regulatory and safety issues remain a concern. This study is aimed at assessing the concentration levels of some microelements and macroelements in NAFDAC approved herbal remedies, and also to assess the compliance of those products with national stipulated requirements for outer pack labelling. A total of ten (10) herbal products that are marketed in Nigeria were randomly purchased and analysed to determine the concentration levels of selected elements (Zn, Fe, Ni, Mn, Pb, Cd, Na and K) using AAS. The results indicated that Zn, Fe, Ni, Mn, Pb, Cd, Na and K have their own trends of concentrations in all the samples studied. Although all the samples contained Pb and Cd, the concentrations were below WHO permissible limits. Also, the assessment of the outer pack labelling of the products revealed that none of the samples complied totally with the national stipulated requirements. Conclusively, the study has shown that the quality and safety of herbal products needs to be regulated effectively before launching into the market.

KEYWORDS

Herbal remedies, macroelements, microelements, labelling, NAFDAC, AAS

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