Toxicity and safety implications of herbal medicines widely reported and used in Malawi
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Date
2021-03-04
Authors
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Publisher
Kamuzu University of Health Sciences
Abstract
Herbals Medicines are widely used in developing countries and there has also been an increase in
the use in the recent years in developed countries. An estimation of 40-90% of traditional medicine
in Africa is plant based. In Malawi, there has also been an increase in the use of medicinal plants.
Some of the examples of widely used herbal medicines in Malawi include Moringa oleifera
(chamwamba), Hibiscus sabdariffa (chidede), Acacia brevisca, Mango, fig tree (Mkuyu), garlic
(adyo) and others.
The herbal medicines have also been associated with toxicity and safety issues. Because of this,
several studies have been done on many medicinal plants to evaluate their toxicity and safety.
However, in Malawi, the increase in demand for traditional medicines has directly resulted to an
influx of herbal medicines of unknown efficacy, safety, toxicity and quality into the market, which
is also a concern. This act has raised an alarm of fear and concern of contamination as everyone in
the country is just practicing with no any supervision and legal responsibilities of the practitioners.
Ddespite increase in use of herbal medicines, few studies have been reported concerning the
toxicity and safety of plants that are used as medicines. Even though Pharmacy Medicines and
Poison Board (PMPB) regulates newly produced drugs in Malawi but the herbal medicines at the
moment that is not the case. Although it is known that there are limited studies on toxicity and
safety of medicinal plants used in Malawi, the extent of the limitation of the studies is not known.
Therefore, this study is aimed at evaluating the toxicity and safety implications of herbal medicines
widely used and reported in Malawi.
The main objective of this research is to determine the toxicity and safety implications of herbal
medicines used in Malawi. This will be a systematic review study that will evaluate the literature
to determine the extent to which Medicinal plants used in Malawi have been evaluated for toxicity
and safety.
The study will be done through the analysis of books, articles, internet articles, surveys and reports
on toxicity and safety widely used herbal medicine in Malawi(1). Specific key words related to
toxicity and safety of drugs will be used to search for information for the study. The data will then Herbals Medicines are widely used in developing countries and there has also been an increase in
the use in the recent years in developed countries. An estimation of 40-90% of traditional medicine
in Africa is plant based. In Malawi, there has also been an increase in the use of medicinal plants.
Some of the examples of widely used herbal medicines in Malawi include Moringa oleifera
(chamwamba), Hibiscus sabdariffa (chidede), Acacia brevisca, Mango, fig tree (Mkuyu), garlic
(adyo) and others.
The herbal medicines have also been associated with toxicity and safety issues. Because of this,
several studies have been done on many medicinal plants to evaluate their toxicity and safety.
However, in Malawi, the increase in demand for traditional medicines has directly resulted to an
influx of herbal medicines of unknown efficacy, safety, toxicity and quality into the market, which
is also a concern. This act has raised an alarm of fear and concern of contamination as everyone in
the country is just practicing with no any supervision and legal responsibilities of the practitioners.
Ddespite increase in use of herbal medicines, few studies have been reported concerning the
toxicity and safety of plants that are used as medicines. Even though Pharmacy Medicines and
Poison Board (PMPB) regulates newly produced drugs in Malawi but the herbal medicines at the
moment that is not the case. Although it is known that there are limited studies on toxicity and
safety of medicinal plants used in Malawi, the extent of the limitation of the studies is not known.
Therefore, this study is aimed at evaluating the toxicity and safety implications of herbal medicines
widely used and reported in Malawi.
The main objective of this research is to determine the toxicity and safety implications of herbal
medicines used in Malawi. This will be a systematic review study that will evaluate the literature
to determine the extent to which Medicinal plants used in Malawi have been evaluated for toxicity
and safety.
The study will be done through the analysis of books, articles, internet articles, surveys and reports
on toxicity and safety widely used herbal medicine in Malawi(1). Specific key words related to
toxicity and safety of drugs will be used to search for information for the study. The data will then