Evaluation of the Pharmaceutical and Microbial Safety, as well as the Reliability, of Some Natural Pharmaceutical Products Available in Iraq

The use of natural pharmaceutical products (NPPs) for the treatment or prevention of diseases is continuously increasing. The ease of obtaining them without professional observation, as well as the incorrect popular belief that natural products are completely safe, increase the possibility of harmful and toxic effects of such products. In this study, some of the widely sold NPPs in Iraqi markets were evaluated for their pharmaceutical and microbial legibility to be consumed by humans. The evaluation includes organoleptic properties, foreign matters, loss on drying, water content, total ash percentage, heavy metal tests, aflatoxins, as well as microbial limit tests. The results revealed that some of the evaluated products were contaminated with heavy metals, lead, mercury, and cadmium. Additionally, pathogenic bacterial growth, including Salmonella species and E. coli, was detected. A high percentage of loss on drying and water content was detected in some of the tested products. All tested samples showed negative results for aflatoxins. Some of the evaluated products were pharmaceutically and/or microbiologically unacceptable and not safe to be consumed by humans. Serious and fast measures must be taken by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Iraq to issue more rigorous standards for the quality of NPPs with continuous monitoring and control of the marketed NPPs.