Herbal Supplements: Efficacy, Toxicity, Interactions with Western Drugs, and Effects on Clinical Laboratory Tests

Preface xi

Contributors xiii

Part I Introduction and Overview 1

1 Introduction to Complementary and Alternative Medicine 3
Catherine A. Hammett-Stabler

2 Relatively Safe Herbal Remedies 19
Angela M. Ferguson and Uttam Garg

3 Risk of Toxicity Associated with Unregulated Herbal Products 45
Steven W. Cotten

Part II Effects of Herbal Remedies On Specific Organ Systems 73

4 Herbal Medicines with Immunomodulatory Effects 75
Jeffrey K. Actor

5 Kelp and Thyroid Function 125
Bruce Rosenzweig

6 Herbal Remedies and the Patient with Chronic Kidney Disease 135
Mariana S. Markell

7 Abnormal Liver Function Tests Due to Hepatotoxic Herbs 155
Amitava Dasgupta and Catherine A. Hammett-Stabler

8 Homeopathic Medicine: Principle, Effi cacy, and Toxicity 169
Amitava Dasgupta

9 Indian Ayurvedic Medicines: An Introduction 193
Amitava Dasgupta

10 Tradition and Perspectives of Greco-Arab and Islamic Herbal Medicine 209
Bashar Saad and Omar Said

11 Licorice and Laboratory Tests 255
Salvador F. Sena

Part III Drug Interactions 273

12 Drug Interactions with St. John’s Wort 275
Matthew D. Krasowski and John L. Blau

13 Drug–Herb Interactions in Patients with HIV/AIDS 291
Natella Y. Rakhmanina and John N. van den Anker

14 Interactions between Fruit Juices and Drugs 305
Amitava Dasgupta

15 Drug Interactions with Ginkgo Biloba and Ginseng 321
Ashok Tholpady and Semyon A. Risin

16 Drug Interactions with Garlic and Ginger Supplements 333
Charbel Abou-Diwan and James Ritchie

Part IV Contamination 351

17 Heavy Metal Toxicity and Herbal Remedies 353
Christine L. H. Snozek and Loralie J. Langman

18 Adulteration of Herbal Remedies with Conventional Drugs: Role of the Clinical Laboratory 369
Uttam Garg and Angela M. Ferguson

19 Beyond Herbals: An Introduction to Poisonous Plants 387
Catherine A. Hammett-Stabler

Part V Analytical Implications 405

20 Interferences of Herbal Remedies with Immunoassays for Therapeutic Drugs: Focus on Digoxin 407
Amitava Dasgupta

21 Role of the Clinical Laboratory in Detecting Plant Poisoning 425
Ronald W. McLawhon

Index 443