HERB-DRUG INTERACTIONS

Throughout history, plants have been used for medicinal purposes and, during the last three decades, we have witnessed a most remarkable revival of herbal medicine. In today’s medicine, as many as one third to approximately half of all drugs available in the market are derived from plants. For example anticancer drugs such as vincristine, vinblastine and paclitaxel (Taxol) are derived from plants and the widely used cardioactive drug digoxin is extracted from the foxglove plant (Digitalis lantana). Herbal therapies are widely used but are not as safe as is being promoted because of lack of safety data. So many of these herbal therapies can interact with other medications, causing either potentially dangerous side effects and / or reduced benefits from the medication. Almost one third of current users of herbal drugs were at risks of herb drug interaction. Since only limited information are available in the literature concerning herb drug interaction.. The clinical importance of herb-drug interactions depends on many factors associated with the particular herb, drug and patient. Herbs should be appropriately labeled to alert consumers to potential interactions when concomitantly used with drugs, and to recommend a consultation with their general practitioners and other medical careers.