The evaluation of markers for quality control studies of flavonoid-containing medicinal preparations

Abstract

In spite of the high utilization of South African traditional medicine, the therapeutic potential and the chemical components of many plant preparations are unknown. For the safe and effective use of these medicinal preparations the exact chemical composition of each preparation is required to verifo the authenticity of the preparation and aid in the determination of the dose and consistency of use. The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of flavonoids as markers for quality control studies of flavonoid-containing medicinal preparations. To realize this objective, it was necessary to develop an experimental assay that could determine selected flavonoid compounds in plant material and subsequently determine the suitability of these flavonoids for quality control studies of flavonoid containing medicinal plant material. The flavonoid components of two medicinal plants namely, Artemisia afra (A. afra) and Mentha longifulia (M. longifulia) were investigated.