Because of similarities in common names (Mississippi snake root vs. Kava was finally allowed back on the Australian market two years later (only aqueous extracts are permitted), however, the bad press still haunts kava today.Įchinacea has had a long, troubled history of misidentification. The resultant public scaremongering by those less informed and wishing to damage the herbal industry led to reduced consumer confidence in those who practice herbal medicine and the withdrawal of kava-containing products from the market. Kava was instead singled out as the most likely cause. An adulterant was detected but has not been identified. Testing of the product revealed that it did not contain any skullcap. In 2002, despite skullcap having been placed in the spotlight, an Australian product containing kava (Piper methysticum) and skullcap was implicated in the death of one patient from fulminant liver failure. Consequently, the TGA took action to ensure samples and methods were made freely available to allow manufacturers to clarify the contents of their products. incana, or germander (Teucrium spp.), a herb well known in the literature to cause liver toxicity. Relaxing skullcap leads to liver failure?īetween April 1997 and April 1998, 10 products in Australia containing Scutellaria lateriflora (skullcap), were recalled because of adulteration with an inferior species, S. The unfortunate end-result of this example is that Stephania tetrandra, which has worthy anti-inflammatory actions, has been dropped from the repertoire of herbalists and naturopaths in Australia. Thankfully only four products in Australia have tested positive for aristolochic acids, necessitating an urgent recall, the latest case taking place earlier this year when Shen Neng Herbal Medicines Group Pty Ltd were ordered to recall their Chuan Xiong Cha Tiao Wan pills. In Australia, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has identified 11 herbs that are vulnerable to adulteration by Aristolochia fangchi because of similar Chinese names or similar appearance. This catastrophic result occurred because of a seemingly simple mix-up in their common names. In 1992, a popular Belgian weight loss product was withdrawn from the market after more than 100 cases of renal failure and urothelial carcinoma were caused by the substitution/adulteration of the herbal anti-inflammatory ingredient Stephania tetrandra (han fang ji) with the renotoxic herb Aristolochia fangchi (guang fang ji). The killer weight loss tea -Aristolochia fangchi Although rare, this has in the past led to drastic consequences and lasting negative reverberations in our industry. Secondly, adulteration can occur from misidentification by lack of experience or inappropriate/invalid testing procedures. Although goldthread has a valuable place in herbal practice, it is, like Oregon grape, devoid of hydrastine, a constituent of goldenseal with separate antimicrobial effects. By contrast, goldthread (Coptis chinensis) and Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) are berberine-containing herbs that are much easier to grow and so, have been used as adulterants. It is also an expensive herb to source because it is not easy to cultivate. Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) is known for its yellow colour, which is due to its berberine content. This is the most abhorrent type of adulteration because it shows a complete lack of regard for the end user, the patient often in dire need of the therapeutic actions of the ingredient.
This is called economically motivated adulteration and is the deliberate substitution of a usually less expensive ingredient. Economically motivated adulterationįirstly, there is no doubt that substitution occurs because of financial gain. However, when it comes to foods, there have been cases of substitution of cereals and coffee husks for coffee, and adulteration of olive oil by the addition of cheaper oils such as soybean oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, corn oil and hazelnut oil, which serve as reminders for health practitioners to be aware of such possibilities when advising patients with food intolerances or allergies. Practitioners put their trust in suppliers that all necessary checks and measures have been passed at every step of manufacture.īut unfortunately, whether it be the natural medicine industry, petroleum products or, most importantly, our food supply, the sad fact is that wherever commerce exists so does adulteration.Īs natural medicine professionals, we are mostly concerned about adulteration in the natural medicine arena.
We assume that everything that is printed on the label is in the bottle, and trust that all the ingredients are validated for purity and quality. Supplements and herbal fluid extracts are used every day in natural medicine clinics.
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