Quality Control of Certain Herbal Preparations Used for Respiratory Disorders in The Egyptian Market

Background: Herbal medicines comprise a crucial traditional remedy in the treatment of various respiratory ailments. However, the quality control of these herbal drugs is regarded as a main obstacle for their safety and efficacy. Objectives: To assess the quality of different herbal preparations in the Egyptian market containing volatile oils used in the treatment of respiratory disorders. Methods: Four different herbal preparations were purchased from the Egyptian pharmaceutical market: formula 1, 2 in form of powder and formula 3 and 4 inform of syrup. The essential oils of different herbal products were obtained by hydro-distillation, and subjected to GC/MS analysis for quantitative estimation. Furthermore, determination of pesticides residue, aflatoxins, certain microelements, heavy metals, and microbial contaminates were carried out. Results: Fifty-four compounds were identified in formula 1, where anethole (34.15%) was the main identified compound followed by p-cymene (8.16%). In formula 2, estragole (10.81%) and caryophyllene (8.65%) followed by anethole (7.41%) were the major identified compounds from 71.27% detected ones. Seven main components were identified in the oil of formula 3, the majors components were thymol (47.84%) and anethole (34.73%). Regarding formula 4, twenty four compounds were identified where thymol (63.24%) and anethole (9.33%) were the major constituents. Results of pesticide residues and heavy metals were in accordance with the international standards. All preparations were free from pathogenic organisms. No aflatoxins were detected. Conclusion: The selected herbal preparations obey the official standards of health care.