Medicinal herbs and methodologies for their pharmaceutical compounding in the West Bank/Palestine.

This study focused on herbalists, herbal shops and people currently using traditional Arabic medicine. Informants were asked to list plants and methods for obtaining plant herbal extracts used to manage a range of illnesses. A total of 109 plants were identified, of these, principle plant elements included, leaves (47.3%), fruits (18.5%) and seeds (18.0%) were most commonly utilized. Extraction methods included decoction (boiling) 51%, and infusion 17% and prepared as creams, powders, syrups, food or cooked. Many plant species are used by herbalists for treating a range of ailments. This study suggests that a lack of methodological standardization during herbal extraction could compromise herbal stability. There is also a need to monitor for potential adverse drug interactions when used concurrently with prescribed medications.