Overview of Dietary Supplements in USA

Herbal product studies cannot be considered scientifically valid if the product tested was not authenticated and characterized in order to ensure reproducibility in the manufacturing of the product in question. In the case of botanicals, misidentification of the collected plant, adulteration with other species or contamination with extraneous ingredients are possibilities in which reproducibility may be effected unknown to the manufacturer. Many studies refer to the use of standardized material, but in reality they are referring to chemical standardization. While chemical standardization is important, its utility is limited when the starting material is not well characterized botanically. Although the resulting studies are sound with respect to the actual product tested, adequate authentication of the product cannot be compared to other products on the market. Also, a comparison of one study to another cannot be made due to inconsistencies in the identity of the botanical matrix. The tools needed for authentication of the field plant material also depend on the plant and process involved. This could be as straightforward as botanical/morphological identification or as elaborate as genetic or chemical profiling. These controls are also critical for the evaluation of pharmacological, toxicological and clinical studies of the botanical supplements.

Keywords: Herbal products, botanical supplements, authentication