Herbal supplement Analytical approach

The development of therapeutic chemistry over the last two centuries has led to the development of increasingly sophisticated medicines, often of synthetic origin, and despite a strict regulatory framework, numerous health accidents have occurred. As a result, many consumers have turned their backs on chemical products and turned to natural products. Against this backdrop, a new product has emerged: dietary supplements.

According to decree no. 2006-352 of March 20, 2006, food supplements are defined as follows "Foodstuffs whose purpose is to supplement the normal diet and which constitute a concentrated source of nutrients or other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect, alone or in combination, marketed in dose form, i.e. presentation forms such as capsules, pastilles, tablets, pills and other similar forms, as well as sachets of powder, ampoules of liquid, dropper bottles and other similar forms of liquid or powder preparations intended to be taken in measured units of small quantity". .

With French regulations having been fleshed out with the publication of the Order of June 24, 2014 establishing the list of plants, other than mushrooms, authorized in food supplements and the conditions of their use, manufacturers must now comply with strict quality control.

To ensure that these new requirements do not put professionals involved in the production of food supplements at risk, this article provides an overview of essential botanical concepts, as well as a comparative study of the different standards and analytical tools needed to implement in-depth quality control.

A table of acronyms and a glossary are provided at the end of the article.