ABSTRACT
A general disillusionment with conventional medicines, coupled with the desire for a ‘‘natural’’ lifestyle has resulted in an increasing utilization of herbal medicinal products (HMPs) across the developed world. Sales of botanical products in the United States have increased sharply in recent years, according to industry reports. An estimated $4 billion was spent in health food stores in 2000 for botanical products in bulk, as well as capsules, tablets, extracts, and teas (1-4). A similar trend is noted for European countries (5).
