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 Chapter 4

Microbial Quality of Medicinal Plant Materials

Marcelo Gonzaga de Freitas Araújo and

Taís Maria Bauab

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/51072

1. Introduction

The use of medicinal plants is continually expanding worldwide. The increasing search for
therapeutic agents derived from plant species is justified by the emergence of diseases, yet
without proper treatment, and the growth of scientific knowledge about the herbal medi‐
cines as important treatment alternatives. Therefore, the quality and safety of herbal prepa‐
rations are also of great concern [1]. The reference [2] explained that quality is the basis of
reproducible efficacy and safety of herbal drugs, and to ensure the standard of research on
herbal medicines, the quality of the plant materials or preparations is of utmost importance.
With the ever increasing use of herbal medicines and the global expansion of the herbal
medicines market, safety has become a concern for both health authorities and the public in
many countries. This is because many contaminants and residues that may cause harm to
the consumers have been reported [3].
The microbial load of plants is the result of a series of influences (Figure 1). By their origin,
herbal drugs are subject to contamination by microorganisms from soil, air and water may
be present potentially pathogenic microorganisms to man. Microbial contamination of me‐
dicinal herbal can be influenced by environmental factors such as temperature, humidity
and extent of rainfall during pre-harvesting and post-harvesting periods, handling practices
and the storage conditions of crude and processed medicinal-plant materials. In order to im‐
prove the purity and safety of the products, observation of basic hygiene during prepara‐
tion, standardization of some physical characteristic such as moisture content, pH and
microbiological contamination levels are desirable [1,4,5].
The presence of microbial contaminant in non sterile pharmaceutical products can reduce or
even inactivate the therapeutic activity of the products and has the potential to adversely af‐
fect patients taking the medicines. As herbal medicinal products are complex mixtures

© 2012 de Freitas Araújo and Bauab; licensee InTech. This is an open access article distributed under the
terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which
permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited.
68 Latest Research into Quality Control

which originate from biological sources, great efforts are necessary to guarantee a constant
and adequate quality. Manipulation and processing factors largely determine the microbio‐
logical quality of the final products [6]. Previous studies have confirmed the presence of po‐
tential contaminants in herbal preparations [7-10]. Thus, manufacturers should ensure the
lowest possible level of microorganisms in the raw material, finished dosage forms and the
packaging components to maintain appropriate quality, safety and efficacy of the natural
products [9].

This review intends to contribute to knowledge regarding the microbial contamination of

medicinal plants by considering the influence of different commonly used pharmaceutical
preparation techniques on the microbiological status of the products. Finally, quality stand‐
ards will be discussed, considering the main guidelines of microbial quality control and
through quality assurance measures such as good manufacturing practices (GMP) for herbal
medicines.

Figure 1. Influence of environmental factors and possible pathways of microbial contamination of medicinal herbs
(adapted from [4]).

2. Common microbial contaminants associated with medicinal plants

The growing, harvesting and manipulation methods usually applied cannot avoid microbial
contamination of the plant material which therefore reflects the environmental conditions as
well as the specific hygiene during the diverse treatments [4]. Biological contamination re‐
fers to impurities in medicinal herbs and their preparations and products, and may involve
living microbes such as bacteria and their spores, yeasts and moulds, viruses, protozoa, in‐
sects (their eggs and larvae), and other organisms. However, products of microbial metabo‐
lism such as toxic, low-molecular-weight metabolites from moulds are important chemical
 Microbial Quality of Medicinal Plant Materials 69
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/51072

contaminants [11]. The main microbial contamination of plant materials, in general, are at‐
tributed to total aerobic mesophilic, enterobacterial, yeast and mould [4].

The presence of higher numbers of spores bacteria could be explained by the fact that some
of these organisms (e.g. Bacillus and Clostridium spp.) produce spores which are resistant to
harsh processing, elevated heat and dry conditions. Therefore, they can survive for a long
time on the product in a dormant state. Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens are recog‐
nized as having potential pathogenicity and have been incriminated in food poisoning [12].
Although bacterial endospores and fungal spores can be regarded as the two dominating
groups of contaminants associated with medicinal plants, a broad diversity of bacterial, fun‐
gal cells and viruses can be found either in or on the plant material [4]. B. cereus and C. perfri‐
gens were isolated from chamomile and other herbs by [13].

Although enterobacteria can be found in nature, this family possesses some indicative value
towards faecal contamination. The presence of enterobacteria and E. coli reflect the situation
regarding faecal contamination [7]. Together with the group of coliforms, it can be taken as
an indicator for undesirable hygiene conditions, although this conclusion has to be related to
the magnitude of viable count measured [4]. Staphylococcus aureus is not common contami‐
nant of this type of plant material and relatively rarely found. However, contamination
could provide amount of enterotoxin produced by S. aureus, depending on the specific na‐
ture of the individual [11].

Herbal medications are likely to be contaminated with a wide variety of others potentially
pathogenic bacteria. In a study whose was evaluated the bacterial contamination of pow‐
dered herbal medicinal preparations sourced from identified herbal retail outlets in different
parts of Kaduna, Nigeria, the results showed that a number of herbal remedies were conta‐
minated with Salmonella typhi and Shigella spp., besides E. coli and S. aureus [1]. In addiction,
the presence of pathogenic bacteria like B. cereus, Aeromonas hydrophila, Shigella spp., Entero‐
bacter agglomerans, E. cloacae, Vibrio fluvialis, Pasteurella multocida, S. epidermidis, Acinetobacter
iwoffii, Klebsiella spp., B. subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and fungi Rhizopus stolonifer also
were observed to be present in plant samples analyzed recently [14,15].

Because they are widespread in the atmosphere, moulds are common natural contaminants
of medicinal herbs. It is known that, under favourable conditions, some fungi can synthesize
toxical metabolites – mycotoxins. Among the known mycotoxins, the most toxic one is afla‐
toxin synthesised by species of A. flavus and A. parasiticus, and a minor number of other fun‐
gi [10]. Contamination by A. flavus, the most famous aflatoxin producer, is common in
medicinal plant and herbal tea [16]. A. flavus colonization does not necessarily reduce yield,
but causes economic losses by contaminating with aflatoxin [17]. In a study of 91 medicinal
herb samples in Brazil [18], were found that 50 % of aerial part samples were contaminated
with fungi. Samples of medicinal plants were evaluated by [5] for the fungal contamination,
and results indicated that predominant mycoflora (89.9% of the isolates) corresponded to
genera Aspergillus and Penicillium, which are extremely important from the mycotoxicologi‐
cal standpoint. The fungal contamination of powdered herbal medicinal preparations
sourced from some herbal retail outlets in some parts of Nigeria was evaluated by [19] and
70 Latest Research into Quality Control

the results showed that all of the herbal preparations had the presence of fungal contami‐
nants with predominance of Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp., but Mucor spp., Candida
spp., Trichosporium spp., also were found. The fungal deterioration adversely affects the
chemical composition of the raw materials and thereby decreases the medicinal potency of
herbal drugs [20].

The risk of the presence of microorganisms in a plant product depends on this finality of the
use, its nature and its potential damage that may be caused to the consumers. Considering
natural flora, current production conditions and the need to warrant the quality and the
safety of these products, monographs establish a maximum fungal contamination limit for
products that contain raw material of natural origin [5]. Although high fungal loads may be
accepted due to the natural origin of those products, they indicate the potential for spoilage
and mycotoxigenesis.

3. Influence of different preparation techniques on the microbiological

quality

The production of an herbal medicine generally involves the steps in which a vegetable is
subjected to unfavorable conditions to survival of microorganisms. Next, we introduce some
of these processes and their influence on the microbial load.

3.1. Drying process

Drying is basically defined as the decreasing of plant moisture content, aimed at preventing
enzymatic and microbial activity, and consequently preserving the product for extend shelf
life [21]. Drying is the most common and fundamental method for post-harvest preservation
of medicinal plants because it allows for the quick conservation of the medicinal qualities of
the plant material in an uncomplicated manner. This process may also contribute to facili‐
tate the marketing of plants, because drying results in reduction of the weight and volume
of the plant with positive consequences for transport and storage [21,22].

The optimization of the drying process contributes to physical, chemical and microbiological
stability of the medicinal herbs. The choice of drying conditions depend on the moisture con‐
tent of tissue at harvest, the plant parts used, and the temperature best suited for preservation
of the requested ingredients. For this reason, adequate dryers are needed, using temperature,
velocity and humidity values for drying air that provides a rapid reduction in the moisture
content without affecting the quality of the active ingredients of medicinal plants [21].

Medicinal plants can be dried in a number of ways: in the open air (shaded from direct sun‐
light); placed in thin layers on drying frames, wire-screened rooms or buildings; by direct
sunlight, if appropriate; in drying ovens/rooms and solar dryers; by indirect fire; baking;
 Microbial Quality of Medicinal Plant Materials 71
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/51072

lyophilization; microwave; or infrared devices. When possible, temperature and humidity

should be controlled to avoid damage to the active chemical constituents. In the case of nat‐
ural drying in the open air, efforts should be made to achieve uniform drying of medicinal
plant materials and so avoid mould formation [23].

Spray drying technique has been widely used to obtain dried extracts presenting better tech‐
nological characteristics and greater concentration of biological active constituents. This
method is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, despite the high temperature drying
(100°C to 200°C), the contact time between the material to be dry and hot air is extremely
fast, less than 1 minute, theoretically is not enough to remove the microorganisms [24].
Comparative microbiological analysis of drug pulverized, extraction in liquid phase and the
the spray drying extraction, using Phyllanthus niruri L., revealed that there is a significant
reduction in microbial load, caused by the extraction in liquid process, while the spray dry‐
er, despite the high temperature, did not affect the microbial load [25].

Drying at high temperature decreases the total aerobic microbial count in herbs. Water is
a significant component of biological materials. Drying methods can lower the water activ‐
ity to the level required for preventing growth of Aspergillus species and also for ensur‐
ing quality of medicinal herbs which may get destroyed upon over drying [10]. Exposure
of herbs to microwaves and warm-air ovens can be efficient to reduce the microbial load,
but they are not recommend to medicinal herbs containing volatile oils. The reference [26]
evaluated both method of drying of plant, and reduction the microbial load present on the
plants was observed but the effect on the volatile oil profile was profound by microwave
drying, and warm drying air revealed that at temperatures >60°C, most of the volatile con‐
stituents were lost.

Other methods such as freeze-drying, oven drying and tray drying have been previously
used to preserve medicinal herbs but to date there is little information in the literature on
the effect of these drying conditions on the decrease of microbial loads [27].

Once drying is complete, plants are packaged in preparation for shipping or other further
processing.

3.2. Extraction methods

Water is almost universally the solvent used to extract activity. At home, dried plants can be
ingested as teas (plants steeped in hot water) or, rarely, tinctures (plants in alcoholic solu‐
tions) or inhaled via steam from boiling suspensions of the parts. Dried plant parts can be
added to oils or petroleum jelly and applied externally. Poultices can also be made from
concentrated teas or tinctures [28]. These kinds of preparations are usually called medicinal
teas and are prepared using natural plants collected, dried and packaged without an effec‐
tive hygienic and sanitary control. In addition, there can be microbiological contamination
and controlling microbial contamination can be difficult in aqueous extracts [13].
72 Latest Research into Quality Control

Environmental dust settled on different parts of the plant and other contaminations can car‐
ry very significant amounts of bacterial and moulds spores [13]. However, those drugs
which are subjected to cold water extraction (herbal maceration) may host a considerable
amount of microbes, and the extraction procedure carried out at ambient temperature usual‐
ly enables microbial multiplication [4]. The application of hot water extraction usually com‐
pensates for microbiological contaminations, since it can be expected that boiling water
markedly reduces the viable counts by several log units and also inactivates possible patho‐
gens [4]. However, bacterial spores of the Bacillaceae family are resistant to thermal treat‐
ment usually applied in infusion preparation, and this thermal shock may stimulate spore
germination. Some of these bacteria like B. cereus and C. perfringens are recognized as having
potential pathogenicity and have been incriminated in food poisoning [12]. Thus, in extrac‐
tions using only water, hot or cold, as extractor liquid, the stability of the extract becomes
compromised and the risk of microbiological contamination increases significantly. This
contamination can compromise the quality and integrity of the plant material itself, as well
as products arising from its use [29-30].
In addition to extraction temperature, the choice of extraction solvent is another important
factor to prevent microbial contamination. The aim of an extraction process should be, of
course, to provide for the maximum yield of substances and of the highest quality (concen‐
tration of target compounds and pharmacological power of the extracts). For extraction of
active phytochemicals, the most commonly used solvents are methanol, ethanol, hexane,
chloroform and diethyl ether [31]. Herbal extraction which made by ethanol or methanol ex‐
traction should, in general, provide good hygiene conditions, but the result depends on the
alcoholic concentration applied [4].

3.3. pH influence

The pH value is one of the main factors influencing the quality of medicine. It always con‐
trols many chemical and microbiological reactions [32]. When the pH value is low (presence
of acidic substances), the bacterial count could be low, but at neutral or higher pH the level
of contamination of the herbal preparations could observed to be higher. This suggests that
a neutral or alkaline pH favoured high contamination levels of the herbal preparations. This
agrees with the observation that bacterial growth is optimal at more or less neutral pH,
around pH 5-8.5 [1].

3.4. Storage

Most pre-storage processing of plant material, such as that involving drying, heat, cooling
and packaging, can prevent the degradation of plant material during storage [33]. Storage of
medicinal herbs is an important part in the process production. During storage, due the fac‐
tors in the outside world and their own physical and chemical properties of the interaction,
gradually occurring physical, chemical and biological changes. Prolonged storage in poorly
 Microbial Quality of Medicinal Plant Materials 73
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/51072

ventilated storehouse usually increases sample moisture content in the bulk due to heat ex‐
change capacity, rendering herbs more susceptible to molds growth and toxin production.
Fungi are the predominant contaminants of herbs, but most such microbial populations are
probably regarded as commensal residents on the plant that survived drying and storage.
Most fungi are present on plants, which develop after harvest if relative humidity is not con‐
trolled during storage [34-35].

Moulds are responsible for biodeterioration of a number of substrates including raw materi‐
als of some medicinal plants. These moulds reduce raw herbal drugs shelf life and market
value. The fungal deterioration adversely affects the chemical composition of the raw mate‐
rials and thereby decreases the medicinal potency of herbal drugs [20]. Samples of herbal
parts stored for sale in markets located in Ibadan, Nigeria were analysed for mycoflora asso‐
ciated with their storage and twenty eight fungal species were isolated, showing that herbal
drug plant pieces are hazardous for human health [36]. Some samples of herbal raw materi‐
als have been reported to contain aflatoxin. The reference [37] determined the incidence of
toxigenic fungi and their mycotoxins on 152 dried medicinal and aromatic herbs from Ar‐
gentina, which are used as raw material for drugs. A. flavus and A. parasiticus were the pre‐
dominant species isolated, and high aflatoxin concentrations were detected. There is a
potential risk for mycotoxins contamination, especially during prolonged storage in poorly
conditions without temperature and moisture control that usually render medicinal plants
more susceptible to moulds growth and mycotoxins production [5,10,20].

The reduction of plant enzyme activity and inactivation of microorganisms is achieved by

drying. Dried plant materials tend to be hygroscopic (readily absorbing moisture) and must
be stored under controlled humidity. Rehydration can lead to the decomposition of the bio‐
active metabolites by enzymes from microorganisms or the plant itself. Significant contami‐
nation by bacteria and fungi suggest inadequate storage facilities and poor hygienic practice
during preparation of these medicinal plants. The storage processes of such products are
stages during which it is important to avoid even further contamination [38].

Studies on long‐term stability of dried herbal teas and preparations are rare. In a study of
[20] was examined the deterioration of herbal drug samples which were stored for 6-9
months by traders after collection. Some of the contaminated materials were found to be de‐
teriorated by toxigenic strains of A. flavus and contain aflatoxin B1 which was above the per‐
missible limit. In a study of [38], dried P. lanceolata leaves were exposed to atmospheres of
different relative humidity (75, 45 and 0%) for 24 weeks and was evaluated the chemical
changes of the compounds of interest. It was shown that exposure to water results in loss of
bioactive molecules of P. lanceolata dried leaves, and that colonising fungi are the key con‐
tributors to this loss. The fungal deterioration adversely affects the chemical composition of
the raw materials and thereby decreases the medicinal potency of herbal drugs. Biodeterio‐
ration of herbal products samples by associated fungi during storage has drawn attention
regarding quality maintenance of these products [35,38-40].

It is common practice for herbalists to prepare herbal medicines and store them in a refrig‐
erator. However, in previous study the effect of microbial contaminants on active com‐
74 Latest Research into Quality Control

pounds of African plant extracts was assessed and indicated that after 25 days of storage
in low temperature there may be little or no active compounds due to spontaneous biode‐
gradation by naturally-occurring microbes [41]. The World Health Organization (WHO) rec‐
ommends that whenever required and when possible, fresh medicinal plant materials should
be stored at appropriate low temperatures, ideally at 2-8°C; frozen products should be stor‐
ed at less than -20°C.

Processed medicinal plant materials should be packaged as quickly as possible to prevent

deterioration of the product and to protect against unnecessary exposure to potential pest
attacks and other sources of contamination.

4. Decontamination of plant materials

Attempts have always been made to decontaminate and preserve these medicinal plants so
as to get more safe, natural and potent medicines. The number of methods has been tried for
decontamination such as heat treatment, UV irradiation and fumigation. However, volatility
and heat sensitivity of the delicate flavor and aroma components of the medicinal plants do
not permit the use of heat treatment [42].

Low penetration power of UV radiations makes this irradiation method unsuitable [42]. Fu‐
migation with gaseous ethylene oxide brings down the microbial burden but this method is
now prohibited or restricted in many countries due to the carcinogenic nature of one of its
residue in treated medicinal plants [43,44]. Various disinfectant technologies have been sug‐
gested which include electromagnetic radiations, photodynamic pulsing, ultrahigh pressure
and CO2 treatment [42].

Gamma irradiation is now getting recognition throughout the world as a phytosanitary

treatment of herbal materials. It improves the hygienic quality of various herbal materials
and reduces the losses due to microbial contamination and insect damage [45]. Besides, it is
a fast, safe, convenient, eco-friendly method which reduces the reliance on chemical fumi‐
gants and preservatives currently used by industries. The chances of recontamination are al‐
so reduced, as it can be done after packaging [46]. Some studies showed that the exposition
of plant samples to different doses of gamma radiation can result in reduction in total bacte‐
rial counts and also indicated that the microbial load could be decreased by increasing the
radiation-absorbed dose. These studies indicate that gamma irradiation is an effective treat‐
ment for microbial decontamination of medicinal plants [42,47,48].

Certain plants contain natural barriers and antimicrobial substances which exert typical in‐
hibitory effects on microbial growth and stability. It has been estimated that around 1400
herbs and spices may possess antimicrobial agents of different chemical nature as oils, pep‐
tides, liquid and organic extracts [4]. Some medicinal herbs contain essential oils which act
as natural antimicrobials and may inhibit mould development and mycotoxin production
[11]. Different studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of antimicrobials and their effec‐
 Microbial Quality of Medicinal Plant Materials 75
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/51072

tive compounds to control or inhibit the growth of pathogenic and spoilage microorgan‐
isms [49-51].

5. Microbial quality parameters

The most widely accepted and used technique is that recommended by WHO for total count
of microorganisms in plant materials. According to the methodology of the WHO, 10 g of
sample should be suspended in 90 ml of buffer sodium chloride-peptone, adjusting the pH
to 7.0. To count total aerobic bacteria, sample should be plated in duplicate, using the official
technique of sowing depth on casein-soybean digest agar, and then incubated at 30-35°C for
48h. To count yeast and mold, the technique employed is the sowing depth in Sabouraud-
dextrose plus a solution of 10% tartaric acid to obtain pH 3.0 to 3.5. The dilution is plated in
duplicate and incubated at 20-25°C for 5 days [52]. Analysis of specific pathogens, Entero‐
bacteriaceae and other Gram negative bacteria (E. coli, Salmonella sp., P. aeruginosa and S.
aureus) consists of specific methods of cultivation and through biochemical and serological
tests. The specification of WHO for total aerobic microorganisms is not more than 107 CFU/g
for the plant material for use as teas and infusions and at most 105 CFU/g for internal use.
The specification of WHO for yeasts and molds are at most 104 CFU/g for the plant material
for use as teas and infusions and at most 103 UFC/g for internal use. High counts of fungi are
a risk because of the possibility to produce mycotoxin, such as aflatoxin, which is a carcino‐
gen toxin. The WHO also recommends a test to detect the possible presence of aflatoxins,
which are highly dangerous contaminants in any material of plant origin.
In Brazil, despite the large consumption of products derived from plants, products sold and
consumed were not subject to any kind of quality control. In 1995, the Ministry of Health
instituted the ordinance MS/SNVS No. 6, January 31, 1995 [53] that regulated the registra‐
tion of herbal products for commercial purposes. Then came the Resolution RDC No. 17 [54]
and, more recently, the RDC No. 48 [55] which confirms definitely that are herbal medicines
and thereby rescues the need for the existence of safety studies, efficacy and quality, prior to
the registration of these products. The Resolution RDC No. 48 of March 16 of 2004 [55] rec‐
ommends that the contamination analysis on herbal medicines must be in accordance with
pharmacopoeial specifications.
Both the Brazilian Pharmacopeia [56], as the United States Pharmacopeia [57] draw the fol‐
lowing specifications for products for oral use: 104 aerobic bacteria/g or mL, 102 fungi/g and
absence of Salmonella spp, E. coli and S. aureus. However, the Brazilian Pharmacopeia also
indicates the detection of other indicators of increased risk for oral administration, such as P.
aeruginosa, B. cereus, Enterobacter spp, C. albicans, A. flavus and A. parasiticus. High microbial
loads are indicative of the possibility of potentially pathogenic microorganisms.
In Europe the evaluation of microbial contamination of medicinal plants has increasingly be‐
come an integral part of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Point (HACCP) concepts [33]. The limits of microbial contamination given in Euro‐
pean Pharmacopoeia [58] for herbal medicinal products to which boiling water is added be‐
fore use are: total aerobic bacteria (107 CFU/g), fungi (105 CFU/g); for herbal medicinal
products to which boiling water is not added before use are: total aerobic bacteria (105
76 Latest Research into Quality Control

CFU/g), fungi (104 CFU/g); Enterobacteria and other Gram-negative organisms (103 CFU/g);
E. coli and Salmonella sp. should be absent. In general, the tests used to verify the presence of
microorganisms in plant drugs and microbial limits show no significant variation and fol‐
low the recommendations used for non-sterile pharmaceutical products (Table 1).

United States European Brazilian

WHOc
Pharmacopoeia a
Pharmacopoeia b
Pharmacopoeiad

Aerobic bacteria 105 / 104 / 102 107 / 105 * / 107 / 105 107 / 105 / 104

Mold and yeast 103 / 102 / 10 105 / 104 105 / 104 / 103 104 / 103 / 102

Enterobacteria and
other Gram negative 103 / * / * * / 103 * / 104 / 103 104 / 103 / 102
bacteria

E. coli absent 103 / absent 104 / 102 / 10 absent

Salmonella absent * / absent * / absent /absent absent

a
United States Pharmacopoeia: The first value represents dried or powdered botanicals and botanicals to be treated with
boiling water before use; The second value represents tinctures, powdered botanicals extracts, fluid extracts and nutritional
supplements with botanicals; The third value represents infusions/decoctions. b European Pharmacopoeia: Herbal medicinal
products consisting solely of one or more herbal drugs (whole, reduced or powdered): the first value represents herbal
medicinal products to which boiling water is added before use; The second value represents herbal medicinal products to
which boiling water is not added before use. c WHO: The first value represents contamination of "crude" plant material
intended for further processing; The second value represents for plant materials that have been pretreated (e.g. with boiling
water as used for herbal teas and infusions) or that are used as topical dosage forms; The third value represents For other
plant materials for internal use: d Brazilian Pharmacopoeia: The first value represents herbal drugs to which boiling water is
added before use; The second value represents herbal drugs to which the extractive process made in cold temperature; The
third value represents final products for oral use. * Limits are not specified.

Table 1. Recommended microbial limits for herbal drugs (values in CFU/g).

6. Conclusion

Microbial contamination can lead to impaired performance of the product due to disruption
of the stability of the formulation, modification of physical characteristics and appearance
and lead to inactivation of the active ingredients and excipients in the formulation and also
cause loss of confidence in the company. Herbalists should be trained to apply Good Manu‐
facturing Practices, good harvesting practices and the safe handling and storage of herbal
medicinal products. Further studies are recommended for herbal products to establish other
contaminants and ways in which the contaminants can be reduced to recommended levels.
The microbial loads should be established and the contaminants isolated and identified. In
addition, alternative methods such as treatment with ethylene oxide or radiation with ionic
rays lead to decontamination effects. These methods can be seen as a compromise between
ensuring the microbiological safety of the product and avoiding consumer’s risk and special
 Microbial Quality of Medicinal Plant Materials 77
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/51072

legal permissions are required in many countries. It is evident that more detailed studies of
plant species popularly used are needed in order to ensure the quality, an important concept
for providing the wished security and reliability for its use.

Author details

Marcelo Gonzaga de Freitas Araújo* and Taís Maria Bauab

*Address all correspondence to: [email protected]

Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State Univer‐
sity – UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil

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