QUALITY AND SAFETY ASSESSMENT OF HERBAL ANALGESIC PREPARATIONS IN ADEN, YEMEN: HEAVY METAL AND MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Herbal medicine products (HMPs) are widely used in Yemen to treat pain and inflammation; however, concerns regarding their safety persist due to the absence of official regulations governing the quality control and evaluation of herbal products. This study aimed to detect the presence of heavy metals and microbial contamination in herbal analgesic products (HAPs) commonly sold in Aden, Yemen. Five widely used herbal analgesic preparations were randomly collected from local herbal markets. Heavy metals, including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), silver (Ag), and nickel (Ni), were quantified using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Microbial contamination was assessed using standard microbiological techniques, with specific screening for Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas spp. Both bacterial and fungal contamination levels were compared against international pharmaceutical safety standards. Results indicated that heavy metal concentrations in all samples were within permissible limits recommended by the WHO, USFDA, and the European Pharmacopoeia.  Pb was not detected in any sample. However, microbial analysis revealed bacterial and fungal contamination in all samples, with total counts exceeding the safety thresholds prescribed by the WHO. Escherichia coli was detected in two products. These findings highlight potential public health risks associated with unregulated HAPs and underline the need for stringent quality control and regulatory oversight in Yemen.