title: Determination of methanol in Iranian herbal distillates.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Herbal distillates have been used as beverages, for flavoring, or as phytomedicines in many countries for a long time. Recently, the occurrence of blindness after drinking herbal distillates has created concerns in Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of methanol in herbal distillates produced in Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-four most commonly used herbal distillates purchased from herbal distillate factories were analyzed for methanol contents by gas chromatography and flame ionization detection, with ethanol as internal standard.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 15 herbal distillates, the methanol concentration was below the limit of quantitation. The methanol concentrations in all samples ranged from 43 to 277 mg/L. Forty-five samples contained methanol in excess of the Iranian standard. The maximum concentration was found in an herbal distillate of Mentha piperita (factory E) (277±12), and the minimum in a distillate of Carum carvi (factory B) (42.6 ± 0.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since the 45 Iranian herbal distillates containing methanol levels were beyond the legal limits according to the Iranian standard, it seems necessary to monitor the amount of methanol and give a warning to watch out for the latent risk problem of methanol uptake, and establish a definitive relationship between the degree of intoxication observed and the accumulation of methanol in the blood.
authors.forename: Kobra
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shirani
authors.forename: Faezeh Vahdati
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Hassani
authors.forename: Kamal Razavi
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Azar-Khiavi
authors.forename: Zohreh Samie
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Moghaddam
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karimi
mesh_terms: D001766:Blindness / Q000139:chemically induced; D029974:Carum / Q000737:chemistry; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D057168:Distillation; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D036142:Mentha piperita / Q000737:chemistry; D000432:Methanol / Q000032:analysis*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000432:Methanol