 |
|
Studies on Natural Products
|
|
| Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings. |
|
|
|
As part of an Institute of Medicine project, my colleagues and I recently reviewed the literature on the effects of Ginkgo on acute mountain sickness, thus we were eager to read the recent article by Chow et al.1 The methods of the study raise some concerns and bring to the fore several recurring issues in research on natural products.2
Botanical products are complex mixtures that originate from biological sources. Such products and their ingredients are invariably "irregular" because their chemical composition depends on factors such as geographical origin, weather, and harvesting practices, while finished products frequently contain multiple botanical ingredients.3 Analytical challenges in botanical quality assurance range from establishing the botanical identity of the material used in the study to measuring the amount of 1 or more desirable or undesirable constituents, such as natural toxins, marker compounds, pesticides, toxic elements, or undeclared synthetic drugs.
Randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials have become . . . [Full Text of this Article]
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Joseph Betz, PhD;
Rebecca Costello, PhD
RELATED ARTICLES
Studies on Natural Products—Reply
Tony Chow and Steven M. Green
Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(3):371.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Ginkgo biloba and Acetazolamide Prophylaxis for Acute Mountain Sickness: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Tony Chow, Vaughn Browne, Heather L. Heileson, Desiree Wallace, James Anholm, and Steven M. Green
Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(3):296-301.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
|
