title: Quality control aspects of herbs and botanicals in developing countries: Coleus forskohlii Briq a case study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Current trend of commercialization of herbal medicines draw a huge need of maintaining their quality. The declaration of quality, safety and efficacy of medicinal plants as well as poly-herbal formulations has become an important issue. Hence, qualitative and quantitative analysis of herbal drugs and formulations viz., fingerprint profiles and quantification of the various markers become key factors of quality control.
  
  
  METHODS
  Present investigation is a detailed report for quality control of well-known herb Coleus forskohlii Briq, which includes physicochemical parameter determination, safety evaluation, microscropical evaluation, and chromatographic fingerprinting as well.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Physico-chemical characters were evaluated according to Indian Pharmacopoeia, further microscopic evaluation of transverse section of Coleus reveals that periderm, secondary phloem, and wide secondary xylem cylinder, which occupies major portion of the root fragmentary. Chromatographic fingerprint profiles of Coleus have been generated, and a marker based standardization strategy was adopted; using different analytical technique like high-performance thin layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy to maintain quality and ensure safety as well as efficacy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These advancements in modern techniques of analysis can lead to effective quality control of Coleus as well as other herbs. Present report can act as pioneer for quality control of modern herbal medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Ennus Tajuddin
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Tamboli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Bansthali Vidyapith, Bansthali University, Tonk, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Karishma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chester
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Sayeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmad
keywords: Coleus forskohlii; gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy; quality control; standardization; thin layer chromatography