Evaluation of Pharmaceutical and Microbial Qualities of Some Herbal Medicinal Products in South Western Nigeria

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the pharmaceutical and microbial qualities of 21 different (of various dosage forms) Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPs) sourced from some traditional medicine sales outlets and retail pharmacy outlets in south western Nigeria. Method: The pharmaceutical qualities evaluated include tablet crushing strength, friability, disintegration time; density of the solutions and suspensions; particle size and angle of repose of the powders. Phytochemical tests were carried out to assess the class of compounds present in the formulations and the microbial quality of the products was also evaluated. Results: The results show that twelve (57.1%) of the products had their manufacturing and expiry dates stated, nine (42.9%) products have been registered by NAFDAC and ten (47.6%) did not have their content stated but had their therapeutic claims indicated on the container. The tablet formulation (Product A) showed acceptable crushing strength and friability but failed the test for disintegration time. The angle of repose of the powder dosage forms were considerably high showing that the powders were highly cohesive and not free flowing. The microbial load of the products varied considerably. Ten (47.6%) of the samples were contaminated by E. coli, seven (33%) were contaminated by Salmonella, fifteen (71.4%) were contaminated by Staphylococcus aureus and twelve (57.1%) were contaminated by fungi. Conclusion: There is need for constant monitoring and control of the standards of herbal medicines available in the Nigerian market.

Pharmaceuticals in the tropics: A quantitative study measuring changes in quantity of the active ingredient and microbiological growth

“…Water absorption increases when the temperature exceeds 23 °C for 24 hours, thermal conductivity increases when the temperature exceeds 50°C and thermal diffusivity also increases when the temperature exceeds 50°C (Olusanmi, 2010). In this study, a temperature of 30 °C and humidity of 80% RH were used, which affected most measured parameters; however, some were affected more than others.…”

“…materials used during formulation. The incidence of medication contamination, especially those required to be sterile, is known to be related to the nature of the ingredients (whether natural or synthetic), the quality of the vehicle used to manufacture the medications, the container used and the training, care and attitude of personnel involved in their handling (Okunlola, 2007).…”

“…Unlike the rich literature around microbial contamination in injectable liquids, few studies have been conducted investigating the bioburden on solid oral formulations. Microbiological quality parameters of drugs are closely associated with the safety of their useand the route by which they will be administered (Okunlola, 2007). Drug contamination may occur at any stage during the manufacturing process from the equipment used, raw materials, excipients, method of storage, transportation stages, water use in manufacture, air ventilation or personnel (Department of Health and Human Services US, 2004).…”

“…The current literature on the effect of temperature on hardness of organic materials indicates that an increase in temperature affects the sucrose used in coating tablets. The effect on coating was found to reduce the indentation hardness of the tablets (Olusanmi, 2010). The increase in temperature and humidity may also increase the permeability of the PVC bottles or sheets used to make the blister packs which can also affect the tablet hardness due to moisture absorption (Olusanmi, 2010).…”

“…The increase in temperature and humidity may also increase the permeability of the PVC bottles or sheets used to make the blister packs which can also affect the tablet hardness due to moisture absorption (Olusanmi, 2010). The increase in hardness due to loss of moisture is further accelerated at temperatures greater than room temperature (Olusanmi, 2010).…”