ABSTRACT
Herbal medicines have been used for thousands of years. Currently, although 70 countries have national regulations on herbal medicines, the legislative control of herbal medicine lacks structure. This is due to differing definitions of medicinal herbs and products and diverse approaches to their licensing, dispensing, manufacturing, and trading1. According to the World Health Organization, reports of patients experiencing negative health consequences caused by the use of herbal medicines are on the rise. These cases are usually linked to the incorrect identification of plant species, the poor quality of herbal medicines, and/or inadequate labeling1. Thus, herbal medicine identification and analysis are very important issues in the quality assurance of herbal products.
