ABSTRACT
Plant drugs usually present difficult standardisation problems. The chemical constituents are frequently present as a collection of closely related compounds, each compound possessing its own specific chemical features and pharmacological actions. In addition, plant material is variable according to species variation, time of collection, growth conditions, storage conditions, etc. Nevertheless plant derived drugs should in general conform to the current conventional standards for medicinal products. Therefore such drugs should be:-
a) reliable, being of consistent nature, substance and quality, b) safe, causing no untoward effects at normal recommended dose levels or
during prolonged use, and c) efficacious, the consumer not being misled by false or unsubstantiated extra-
vagant claims.
