USP Proposes Agricultural Standards for Botanicals

USP Proposes Agricultural Standards for Botanicals

ROCKVILLE, Md.USP proposed inthe March-April 2005 Pharmacoeial Forum (PF)a new general chapter to establish standardized protocols for producing goodquality raw materials of botanical origin. The chapter covers specific protocolsfor black cohosh, ginger and valerian, and includes guidelines on botanicalidentification, historical use, sources, collection and cultivation, drying andstorage, adulterants and global regulatory status. USP incorporated goodagricultural practices provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) as thebasis for the chapter.

Quality control directly impacts the safety and efficacy ofbotanical products, said Roger L. Williams, M.D., executive vice presidentand chief executive officer (CEO) of USP (www.usp.org). Since there arevarying factors that can affect the quality of ingredients derived from plants,this is the first step in establishing standards for producing botanicalarticles that maintain consistent characteristics.