In aromatic plants, essential oils and their isolated compounds showed individual as well as synergistic effects depending on the composition. In some cases whole essential oil was more active while in others isolated compounds were more active.

Considering that synthetic compounds may lead to side effects, plant-based extracts or pure compounds are more safe, environment and people-friendly.

Mostly not. As it depends on extract/ isolated compound. It may vary with different extracts/ isolated compounds.

Roberto, up to some extent you are correct, yes in some cases of compound formulation the effects of major component is enhanced by other components but always this is not the picture. The modes operand of compound formulation is not only synergistic action but also to prevent untoward actions of some components.

In your case you may add 3 to 5% bio-enhancer in growth promotion formulation, you may select any bio enhancer like Piper nigrum or piper longum or any other suitable.

Thanks. However, the idea is to replace the plant extract (difficult to assess the safety) with one (or very few), synthetic compounds (with well known safety use).

In aromatic plants, essential oils and their isolated compounds showed individual as well as synergistic effects depending on the composition. In some cases whole essential oil was more active while in others isolated compounds were more active.

Considering that synthetic compounds may lead to side effects, plant-based extracts or pure compounds are more safe, environment and people-friendly.

Roberto your view is true for some plant species and also for some phytochemicals but not all, for many major components the minor compounds increase their biological effect that why we see side effects when consuming whole plant rather than the active compound.

Thanks.

I would also use plant-based extracts, more environment and people friendly. However, side effects should be more probable with the use of a plant extract than with the use one (or very few) synthetic compounds (high purity and safety tested).

The use of a plant extract requires a difficult safety assessment procedure, because is a mixture (with some unknown components) and it has a variable composition, especially for the minor components.

Opinions and papers on the safety/efficacy issues of the natural mixtures, in comparison to the individual components, are welcome. The area of interest is broad, e.g. food/feed supplements or pesticide.

1.The value of HOLISTIC effects of plant/herbal extracts is not duly understood  because of lack of coordinated research  by experts  and lack of  documentation  and follow up on true effects of  seasons, geological and process  of extractions  variability and their effects on bio-active  and inactive isolated  phyto-chemicals provide ample opportunity for researchers.( realistic comparison of  plant extracts vs isolated compounds )   

2. Poly herbal combinations drugs complicate the issue more.

3.A humble attempt was made to provide a clue to this complexity  on a poly herbal antiseptic cream (based on a formula of  RASA TANTRA SARA...an Ayurveda text book and the observations are documented (Indian Drugs 01/1989,157-160 and

The Journal of Pharmacy Technology 01/1990,6(4) 164-168 ).The papers dealt with the need of each herb in the formulation for specific antimicrobial effect and also how phyto-chemicals can help as bio-markers for quality control. 

Thanks a lot. It is complex issue and the lack of coordinated research by experts and lack of documentation cannot help.

Unluckily, with this premise, the legislation cannot deal with this issue and the risk manager is tempted to escape the problem: banning or limiting the use of plant extracts.

Plant extracts are definitely less poisonous than chemical-synthetic drugs, herbal extracts are very much effective in metabolic syndrome, life style related and chronic diseases, they gives many clues to design synthetic drugs. In my view a combination of chemical and herbal will be a effective solution for many diseases, at present vitamin, mineral and herbal combination is available. The treasure of herbs is huge but with less research, more research is required. The compound Ayurveda preparations mainly of classical are in uses since centuries and are effective. 

1.Combining synthetic drugs with herbal extracts and vice versa with out scientific rationality documented and clinical studies proved in phase wise trials is not advisable. 

2.More studies are needed for such combinations therapy (beyond herb extracts use  for  nutrients value ) .

3.Every country has their herbal and   synthetic API pharmacopoeia as well drug prescription standards  to be followed. Any proven scientific evidences on combinations of both is definitely reviewed by respective legislative authorities  periodically for accepting or banning.

It is true that every country has their regulatory framework and this can be a serious constrain in the international trade. This can also happen if the preparations are in uses since centuries in other countries.

Methyleugenol has been demonstrated to be genotoxic and carcinogenic (out102_en.pdf) and it occurs in some essential oil (methyleugenol in herbal medicine 2005.pdf).

For example, the use of clove oil is an additional human exposure to methyleugenol and it is technically difficult to eliminate completely the compound from the oil. Therefore, the legislative authority could not accept the additional human exposure to methyleugenol.

On the other hand, the eugenol is the major ingredient of clove oil and has many benefits, but it is technically difficult to isolate the compound with high purity (more than 99%). Therefore, we could replace the clove oil with the synthetic eugenol, with high purity and without side effects.

In general, the replacement procedure should overcome doubts of the legislative authorities. However, I would like opinions and practical examples on this procedure, especially on the final biological efficacy.    

Thanks a lot for your contributions.

Such examples of herbal side effects are few and rare, on the other side majority of the chemical drugs are having toxic effects at the cost of some beneficial effect or some time effects. The herbal medicine is abundant not a game of sixty or seventy molecules. Most of the herbs posses beneficial phyto chemicals and very few herbs are having both beneficial and toxic components but due to inbuilt mechanism the beneficial ingredient nullify the toxicity in many cases and in few it persists, but overall  herbal medicine is nature and patient friendly. My view and suggestion is that in some cases integration may be very much beneficial like Paracetamol (known hepato toxic and most commonly used drug world wide)  if given with Picrorhiza kurroa- Kutaki an established hepato protective herbal drug will be highly beneficial to the patients. This is just an example, compatibility and safety must be done and permission of regulatory authority should obtain.  

Thanks a lot.

It would also be very interesting to get opinions and supporting papers from the companies, consultants, regulatory agencies and, of course, some other views from research side.

 Did we discuss about methyl eugenol in another thread of yours dear @Roberto?

In some studies it has been shown that the 10 most abundant component drive the mixture toxicity. This however is not the rule. It has to do with the components of the mixtures and your testing system. You could see one of our publications related to this matter... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25061892

Methyl eugenol is an example of a more general issue: replacement of a mixture by a single component.

The aim of replacement is to get same efficacy (e.g. growth promoter), less cost and avoid toxic component (or just unknown components).

The single component should be of natural origin, but it is technically difficult to have a high purity (99.9%). A high purity can be reach with chemical synthesis. However, a  compromise could be a semi-synthetic production (starting from a natural precursor).

I'm sorry . I am irrelevant to this work.