While it’s been known for some time that certain botanical ingredients are at a high risk of adulteration, the botanicals industry has historically lacked extensive data regarding how frequently adulteration occurs. Thus, the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP) published in September 2024 a systematic review of publicly available information on the authenticity of five major botanical ingredients and preparations made from them.
This paper discusses adulteration rates of black cohosh (Actaea racemosa) rhizome, echinacea (Echinacea angustifolia, E. pallida, and e. purpurea) herb and/or root, elderberry (Sambucus nigra), ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) leaf, and turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome.
BAPP’s article, published in Natural Products Reports, demonstrates that “estimating the extend of adulteration using published data is a very challenging and imperfect process,” according to paper coauthor and Founder & Executive Director of the American Botanical Council Mark Blumenthal. The paper notes that in many cases, results from analysis of all products sold in certain geographic regions aren’t available, and definitions of adulteration vary from one paper author to the next. Meanwhile, some laboratory methods used to identify adulteration may not be fit for purpose; as such, an independent assessment of the accuracy of the papers’ findings is not possible.
BAPP’s new review included 2,995 samples across the five types of botanicals and examined the results of 77 publications. Ginkgo leaf extract samples had the highest estimated rate of adulteration at 56.7 percent; however, products that were licensed or registered as herbal medicines were found to be entirely authentic.
BAPP’s other publications have found that as many as 30 botanicals are subject to widespread adulteration, most of which is intentional. BAPP notes that most adulteration is what the US Food and Drug Administration refers to as economically motivated adulteration (EMA). EMA is typically referred to as the fraudulent incorporation of inauthentic substances, or the removal of authentic substances, without the knowledge of the buyer, for the seller’s economic gain.
BAPP’s article is available at https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/np/d4np00014e.
