Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals Book

An enormous increase in the knowledge of herbal drug constituents, their effects, and side effects has occurred in recent years. As a result, many herbal products are undergoing a transition from classic herbal teas to standardized extracts. This new edition of Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals takes the advances made in medicinal plants research and phytotherapy into account and offers reliable, highly pertinent information. This reference offers comprehensive information about the origins, constituents, effects, indications, and dosage of herbal drugs and phytopharmaceuticals. The text also includes phytopharmaceutical information such as types of extraction solvents, drug-to-extract ratios, and dosage recommendations for extracts.

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Reviewer:Nima Patel, PharmD(Temple University School of Pharmacy)
Description:This book, translated from the 4th German edition, contains 212 monographs describing herbs that are used for preparation of tea, herbal mixtures, or the production of phytopharmaceuticals. The last English edition was published in 2001.
Purpose:The main objective of this book, according to the editor and author(s), is to provide in-depth knowledge about herbals and to facilitate patient counseling on herbal products. Considering the rise in herbal product use in the United States, this book is necessary to present essential and accurate information regarding herbal drugs.
Audience:The targeted audience for this book includes pharmacists and physicians. The authors are experts in the field of pharmaceutical biology and are credible authorities.
Features:The herbal monographs were chosen based on readers' requests and those for which a German Standard License exists. The book is alphabetically organized according to the Latin name in the table of contents, but the index offers Latin and English names. Each monograph is organized in the same way: illustrations and descriptions, pharmacopoeial names, German standard licenses, plant source, synonyms, origin, constituents, indications, side effects, making the tea/tea preparations, phytomedicines, authentication, TLC identification, adulteration, storage, and literature. The updated edition expands upon phytopharmaceuticals, revises constituents and indications, provides 12 new herbal monographs and seven new herbal drugs in the section of short monographs. Some of unique features are the inclusion of an excerpt from the German Commission E monographs and photographs of herbal drugs as well as drawings to help with the process of quality assurance. There is also a list of herbals used for treatment according to indication, i.e. cold/cough, which is very useful.
Assessment:This is an excellent resource on herbal products for pharmacists and physicians. Information on authentication, TLC identification, tea preparation, and color herbal photos are included in this book. Another useful feature is the regulatory status of the herb in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Lacking in this book is information on pharmacokinetics, drug-drug interactions, and commercial herbal products taken as pills. Most of the common herbals are listed, but the list is not complete.