QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF SELECTED ANTIMALARIAL HERBAL DRUGS

Abstract

The use of herbal medicinal products for the treatment and prevention of diseases has a long tradition worldwide and
it has played an important role in the health care of numerous divergent societies, ranging from developing countries
in Asia and Africa to western developed nations Herbal medicinal products are readily available and are not
regulated and as such, serious safety concerns might be associated with these herbal medicines. This study was
aimed at evaluating the physico-chemical and phytochemicals of some selected antimalarial herbal products
marketed within Zaria metropolis. The physico-chemical analysis was carried out using standard analytical method
reported by Trease and Evans. The result of physicochemical analysis shows that only 25 % of the samples passed
the uniformity test. Phytochemical screening was conducted according to the standard procedures and the result
revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, saponins, terpenoids and tannins in 75, 100, 92,
96, 80 and 100 % respectively in the samples. Some (25 %) of the samples passed the weight uniformity test as none
of these samples deviated from the mean weight by more than 7.5%. This indicates that good manufacturing practice
was not adhered to during the packaging of these antimalarial herbal products. Also, all the samples were found to
have phytochemicals required for antimalarial activity however, only few (25 %) of them is safe for consumption as
per their weight variation studies. Thus, implying that there will be no consistency in dosing with these products and
therefore, the therapeutic effect needed may not be achieved.