HERBAL MEDICINES COULD CONTAIN DANGEROUS LEVELS OF TOXIC MOLDS
Herbal medicines such
as licorice, Indian rennet and opium poppy, are at risk of contamination with
toxic mold, according to a new study published in Fungal Biology. The authors of the study, from the University of Peshawar,
Pakistan say it's time for regulators to control mold contamination.
An estimated 64% of people use
medicinal plants to treat illnesses and relieve pain. The herbal medicine
market is worth $60 billion globally, and growing fast. Despite the increasing
popularity of herbal medicine, the sale of medicinal plants is mostly unregulated.
The new study analyzes toxic mold
found on common medicinal plants in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of
Pakistan, where the majority of people use herbal medicine. They found that
around 43% of the plants were naturally contaminated with toxins, produced by
molds that could be harmful to human health. 30% of the samples contained
aflatoxins, which are carcinogenic and linked to liver cancer, and around 26%
were contaminated with ochratoxin A, which is toxic to the liver and kidneys,
and can suppress the immune system..
"It's common to use medicinal
plants in our country and to buy from local markets and shops," said Ms.
Samina Ashiq, one of the authors of the study from the University of Peshawar.
"There's a common misconception that just because they're natural, the
plants are safe. We knew from experience that this wasn't the case, but we
wanted to really test it and quantify the contamination."
Ms. Ashiq and the team analyzed 30
samples of plants known for their medicinal properties, including licorice,
Indian rennet and opium poppy. They found that 90% of the samples were
contaminated with mold, and the levels exceeded permissible limits in 70% of
the samples.
They then grew the molds to find out
if they produced toxins that could be harmful to human health. 19% of the molds
produced aflatoxins, and 12% produced ochratoxin A. Overall, 31% of the molds
growing on the plants they tested produced harmful toxins.
"These results are a clear
indicator that we need more stringent regulation in place," continued
Ashiq. "There is a real public health concern due to the lack of effective
surveillance of the quality, safety and efficacy of these medicinal plants.
It's time for regulators to step in and set limits to protect people who want
to use herbal medicines like these."
The plants can become contaminated
at each stage of production: during growth, handling, collection,
transportation and storage. Those that are exported for sale may be
contaminated before they reach their destination. In Pakistan and many other
countries, these plants are primarily sold on markets where hygiene is not top
priority.
"By setting limits to fungal
contamination of these plants, Pakistan and other countries would be better
able to export to places that do have controls in place. Hygienic processing
and sale of medicinal plants is essential to protect people, and also if the
economy is to benefit from the booming herbal medicine industry," added
Ms. Ashiq.
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