When is a herb a drug?

With the growing popularity and use of herbal remedies in the industrial countries there has been an increasing recognition and reporting of adverse reactions. Drug development represents discovery and characterization of naturally occurring plant metabolites or their synthetic analogues. Therefore, a herbal remedy should be considered a drug for all clinical purposes. The liver, being central to the metabolism of virtually all xenobiotics, is inevitably exposed to reactive metabolites and liver injury is a potential complication of nearly every medication, including herbal remedies. Recognition of herb induced hepatotoxicity depends on clinical awareness of the problem, a suspicion that a herbal preparation is involved, and detailed enquiry regarding the use of all supplements and remedies. Herbal medicines should be regulated more systematically and monitoring for adverse reaction should improve. (c) 2005 Lippincott Williams W Wilkins.