title: Herbal Products in Italy: The Thin Line between Phytotherapy, Nutrition and Parapharmaceuticals; A Normative Overview of the Fastest Growing Market in Europe.
abstract: The Italian herbal products market is the most prosperous in Europe. The proof is represented by the use of these products in several marketing categories, ranging from medicine to nutrition and cosmetics. Market and legislation in Italy are at the same time cause and consequence of this peculiar situation. In fact, the legislation on botanical food supplements in Italy is very permissive and at the same time the market shows an overall satisfaction of users and strong feedback in terms of consumption, which brings a widening use of medicinal plants, formerly the prerogative of pharmaceuticals, to other fields such as nutrition. This review summarizes the market and normative panorama of herbal products in Italy, highlighting the blurred boundaries of health indications, marketing authorizations and quality controls between herbal medicines and non pharmaceutical products, such as food supplements, cosmetics and other herbal-based "parapharmaceuticals".
authors: Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy. biagi4@unisi.it.|Italian Society of Phytotherapy, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy. biagi4@unisi.it.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Biagi
authors: Italian Society of Phytotherapy, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy. ritapecorari@ritapecorari.it.
authors: Rita
authors: R
authors: Pecorari
authors: Italian Society of Phytotherapy, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy. giovanni.appendino@uniupo.it.|Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, Largo Donegani 2, 28100 Novara, Italy. giovanni.appendino@uniupo.it.
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Appendino
authors: Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy. elisabetta.miraldi@unisi.it.|Italian Society of Phytotherapy, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy. elisabetta.miraldi@unisi.it.
authors: Elisabetta
authors: E
authors: Miraldi
authors: Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy. annarosa.magnano@unisi.it.|Italian Society of Phytotherapy, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy. annarosa.magnano@unisi.it.
authors: Anna Rosa
authors: AR
authors: Magnano
authors: Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy. paolo.governa@unisi.it.|Italian Society of Phytotherapy, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy. paolo.governa@unisi.it.
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Governa
authors: Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy. giulia.cettolin90@gmail.com.|Italian Society of Phytotherapy, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy. giulia.cettolin90@gmail.com.
authors: Giulia
authors: G
authors: Cettolin
authors: Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy. daniela.giachetti@unisi.it.|Italian Society of Phytotherapy, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy. daniela.giachetti@unisi.it.
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Giachetti
keywords: Italian pharmaceutical market; botanicals; food supplements; herbal medicinal products; normative; parapharmaceuticals; phytotherapy