Pharmaceutical grade herbs

Introduction

For centuries, herbs have been an important aspect of life in different communities. There is a great connection of herbs with human health and traditionally, they were used to treat ailments even before conventional medicine. Today, there is an increasing demand and use of herbs because of their efficiency. However, there are still challenges facing the use herbs since there are quite a number that have not been scientifically tested to prove their efficiency on the diseases they are presumed to treat. Since drug quality deficiencies in herbs can result in poisoning and even death, there are a number of researches being conducted on herbs to determine their safety for human use. 

What are pharmaceutical grade herbs?

If you are passionate about the use of herbs as medicine, then you should always consider using pharmaceutical grade herbs.  A pharmaceutical grade compound is any active or inactive compound whose chemical purity and safety has been established by a recognised national pharmacopeia or compendia. Pharmaceutical grade herbs are those that have been scientifically proven to be safe enough to be administered even intravenously if necessary. They have been manufactured under good manufacturing practices approved conditionally.

Qualities of pharmaceutical grade herbs

Quality sources

The quality control in the manufacture of pharmacological grade herbs begin with the quality of the raw materials. How these herbs are grown brings about a very great difference. The quality of the raw materials is key in producing an excellent final product that would be very effective in treatment without any adverse effects on health. Pharmacological grade herbs are manufactured from high quality sources that are pristine in nature.

High purity levels 

Many companies use impure ingredients in their manufacturing processes and they do not list the ingredients if they are not used in making the final dosage form. However, in pharmacological grades, purity is very imperative.  These products must be excesses of 90 percent purity with no binders, dyes, excipients and other unknown substances that may have negative impacts on health.   there is a high level of purity of up to 99 percent.

Good manufacturing practices

The manufacturing process is another important component that makes a pharmacological grade herb. Pharmacological grade herbs are manufactured in good facilities with good manufacturing practices. All these companies must be certified by regional standardization bodies that carry out inspection to determine if they are fit to produce pharmacological grade herbs.  The quality of the final products greatly depend on how well the standard operating procedures were followed to come up with a safe final product.

Pharmacological activity

Unlike other traditional herbs, the pharmacological activity of the pharmacological grade drugs is outstanding. They compare to conventional medicine in terms of efficiency on the diseases they are used to treat. They are also available in the correct doses unlike traditional herbs in which determining an effective dose is conundrum. Their side effects have been well identified and in most cases they are minor, with the benefits outweighing the unwanted effects.