ABSTRACT
Medicinal plants are a source of raw materials for both traditional systems of medicine and modern medicine. These medicines are also in great demand in the developed world for primary health care because of their efficacy, safety, and lesser side effects. The therapeutic potential of herbal drugs depends on their form: whether parts of a plant or simple extracts or isolated active constituents. Acute toxicity testing is conducted to get information regarding the safety and further evaluate the biological activity and mechanism of action of the drug. The presence of toxic minerals and heavy metals like cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic also produce implications in the toxicity of herbs. The demand for herbal medicines increases daily in India as well as the international market, which is why the main concern of herbs is not only their use, but their safety, too.
