O MERCADO INFORMAL DE PLANTAS MEDICINAIS E PRODUTOS FITOTERÁPICOS REGULAMENTADOS NO BRASIL: RISCO DE TOXICIDADE POR METAIS PESADOS

Abstract

In recent years, the use of medicinal plants has increased in several countries. However, the indiscriminate consumption of medicinal plants poses health risks due to several factors such as ingestion of incorrectly identified plants, overdose, long duration of administration, inadequate combination of plants, as well as contamination by microorganisms and heavy metals. Public policies and regulations have been created in several countries with the aim of valuing and providing safety to the consumer of medicinal plants. Given the above, this dissertation aims to: a) describe the regulations related to the registration and notification of plant drugs, herbal medicines and traditional herbal products, with an emphasis on the quantification of heavy metals; b) carry out an on-site study to verify compliance with regulations regarding the identification, labeling and dosage of plant drugs sold in Campo Grande - MS; and c) investigate the existence of studies on the quantification of heavy metals in medicinal plants listed in the List of Medicinal Plants of Interest to the Brazilian Unified Health System (RENISUS) that have published monographs. According to the in loco results, in the city of Campo Grande - MS, plant drugs from medicinal and herbal plants are freely traded on the streets and markets of that city without identification, proper labeling and dosages. On the streets of the city of Campo Grande - MS, as well as on the internet, medicinal plants are sold with packaging claiming the cure process for various diseases, that is, they do not follow the regulations established by Anvisa. It was found that the quantification of heavy metals has been performed in some medicinal plants listed in RENISUS, as well as other species, however, this information is not considered in the monographs. Macro and microelement analyzes must also be carried out on plant drugs to be commercialized. New updates are needed in relation to the list of medicinal plants in RENISUS, which can significantly contribute to avoiding possible health risks for users and informing sellers of medicinal plants of possible dosages. Given the evidence, it is necessary that several countries improve their inspection and monitoring of heavy metals involving medicinal plants in the form of drugs and plant derivatives, in order to mitigate the vulnerability of the population that consumes these products. In addition, it is necessary to develop monographs of medicinal plants with the inclusion of information regarding the quantification of heavy metals and risk calculations, and comparison of the intake limits for heavy metals established by regulatory agencies.