Main description:

This book focuses on efficacy, toxicity, drug interactions, and abnormal clinical laboratory tests resulting from the use of herbal remedies. Although a few herbal remedies are safe and have efficacy (for example saw palmetto), many herbal remedies are toxic. This book guides in the interpretation of abnormal test results in otherwise healthy subjects due to use of herbal remedies. Chapters focus on interactions between herbals and pharmaceuticals, sources of contamination in herbal supplements, and analytical techniques used in the investigation of herbal remedies.

Contents:

PREFACE xi CONTRIBUTORS xiii PART I INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW 1 1 Introduction to Complementary and Alternative Medicine 3 Catherine A. Hammett-Stabler 2 Relatively Safe Herbal Remedies 19 Angela M. Ferguson and Uttam Garg 3 Risk of Toxicity Associated with Unregulated Herbal Products 45 Steven W. Cotten PART II EFFECTS OF HERBAL REMEDIES ON SPECIFIC ORGAN SYSTEMS 73 4 Herbal Medicines with Immunomodulatory Effects 75 Jeffrey K. Actor 5 Kelp and Thyroid Function 125 Bruce Rosenzweig 6 Herbal Remedies and the Patient with Chronic Kidney Disease 135 Mariana S. Markell 7 Abnormal Liver Function Tests Due to Hepatotoxic Herbs 155 Amitava Dasgupta and Catherine A. Hammett-Stabler 8 Homeopathic Medicine: Principle, Efficacy, and Toxicity 169 Amitava Dasgupta 9 Indian Ayurvedic Medicines: An Introduction 193 Amitava Dasgupta 10 Tradition and Perspectives of Greco-Arab and Islamic Herbal Medicine 209 Bashar Saad and Omar Said 11 Licorice and Laboratory Tests 255 Salvador F. Sena PART III DRUG INTERACTIONS 273 12 Drug Interactions with St. John's Wort 275 Matthew D. Krasowski and John L. Blau 13 Drug-Herb Interactions in Patients with HIV/AIDS 291 Natella Y. Rakhmanina and John N. van den Anker 14 Interactions between Fruit Juices and Drugs 305 Amitava Dasgupta 15 Drug Interactions with Ginkgo Biloba and Ginseng 321 Ashok Tholpady and Semyon A. Risin 16 Drug Interactions with Garlic and Ginger Supplements 333 Charbel Abou-Diwan and James Ritchie PART IV CONTAMINATION 351 17 Heavy Metal Toxicity and Herbal Remedies 353 Christine L. H. Snozek and Loralie J. Langman 18 Adulteration of Herbal Remedies with Conventional Drugs: Role of the Clinical Laboratory 369 Uttam Garg and Angela M. Ferguson 19 Beyond Herbals: An Introduction to Poisonous Plants 387 Catherine A. Hammett-Stabler PART V ANALYTICAL IMPLICATIONS 405 20 Interferences of Herbal Remedies with Immunoassays for Therapeutic Drugs: Focus on Digoxin 407 Amitava Dasgupta 21 Role of the Clinical Laboratory in Detecting Plant Poisoning 425 Ronald W. McLawhon INDEX 443