Herbal Drugs

According to a study in the British Medical Journal:

Sales of herbal medicines are booming. This is particularly true in the United States, where the market for herbal supplements is now approaching $4bn a year. The fastest growth has been recorded for St John's wort, a herbal antidepressant whose sales increased in one year by 2800%.

Resources

• Brevoort P. The booming US botanical market. A new overview. Herbalgram 1998; 44: 33-46.
• Linde K, Ramirez G, Mulrow CD, Pauls A, Weidenhammer W, Melchart D. St John's wort for depression: an overview and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials. BMJ 1996; 313: 253-258[Abstract/Free Full Text].
• Stevinson C, Ernst E. Hypericum for depression: an update of the clinical evidence. Eur Neuropharmacol (in press).
• Ernst E, Pittler MH. Ginkgo biloba for dementia: a systematic review of double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. Clin Drug Invest 1999; 17: 301-308.
• Wilt TJ, Iskani A, Stark G, McDonald R, Lan J, Murlow C. Saw palmetto extracts for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. JAMA 1998; 280: 1604-1609[Abstract/Free Full Text].
• Pittler MH, Ernst E. Horse-chestnut seed extract for chronic venous insufficiency: a criteria-based systematic review. Arch Dermatol 1998; 134: 1356-1360[Abstract/Free Full Text].
• Müller WE, Singer A, Wonnemann M, Hafner U, Schäfer C. Hyperforin represents the neurotransmitter uptake inhibiting constituent of hypericum extract. Pharmacopsychiat 1998; 31(suppl): 16-21.
• Jowell T. Herbal medicines. In: House of Commons official report (Hansard) , 1999 March 26;426-27.
• Lord GM, Tagore R, Cook T, Gower P, Pusey CD. Nephropathy caused by Chinese herbs in the UK. Lancet 1999; 354: 481-482[CrossRef][Medline].
• Chrubasik S, Sporner F, Wink M. Zum Wirkstoffgehalt in Arzneimitteln aus Hapargophytum procumbens. Forsch Komplementärmed 1996; 3: 57-63.
• Keane FM, Munn SE, du Vivier AWP, Taylor NF, Higgins EM. Analysis of Chinese herbal creams prescribed for dermatological conditions. BMJ 1999; 318: 563-564[Abstract/Free Full Text].
• Janetzky K, Morreale AP. Probable interactions between warfarin and ginseng. Am J Health Syst Pharm 1997; 54: 692-693[Free Full Text].
• Ernst E. Possible interactions between synthetic and herbal medicinal products. Part 1: a systematic review of the indirect evidence. Perfusion (in press).