Herbal Authentication

Herb authentication is a quality assurance process that ensures the correct plant species and plant parts are used as raw materials for herbal medicines. The correct method of authentication for herbal raw materials is critically important to the safety and efficacy of herbal medicines.

A Herbal Authentication and Identification Service is provided to industry and growers on a fee-for-service basis. We can authenticate hundreds of plant species and essential oils.

To inquire about the Herbal Authentication and Identification Service, contact Dr. Joshua Smith on +61 2 6620 3332 or via email at joshua.smith@scu.edu.au.

The Australian Government's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has released a document outlining the identification tests manufacturers are required to apply to herbal materials and extracts.

Access Australian Government's Therapeutic Goods Administration on the TGA's website.

Authentication Methods

Macroscopic

Macroscopic examination involves the comparison of morphological characters that are visible with the naked eye or under low magnification with descriptions of the plant or botanical drug in floras or monographs.

Characters such as size, shape and colour of leaves (or leaf fragments), flowers or fruits are commonly used in macroscopic identification.

Microscopic

Microscopic examination focuses on anatomical structures in the plant material that are visible only with the help of a microscope.

Features such as trichome (hair) shape and structure, the arrangement of stomata in the epidermis, the presence or absence of compounds such as mucilage, starch or lignin, or the presence of tissues with characteristic cells might be used in the microscopic identifications of herbal drugs.

Chromatography

Chromatography is the separation of chemical compounds in a mixture. A number of chromatographic techniques exist, but all are based on the same basic principles.

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is widely employed in herbal authentication, and the majority of pharmacopoeial monographs for herbs include a TLC identification test. TLC separates mixtures of compounds to leave a 'fingerprint' of separated compounds on a plate coated with silica gel. This fingerprint can be compared with that of an authentic sample or pure reference compounds.

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is another type of chromatography widely used in the authentication and analysis of herbal substances. Yet another type, gas chromatography, is used in particular for essential oils and fatty acids.