Botanical Integrity: Part 2: Traditional and Modern Analytical Approaches.

The concept of botanical integrity (BI), introduced previously in HerbalGram issue 106, involves the determination of identity, homogeneity, bioactivity, and safety of plant-derived materials designated for human consumption.1 It goes beyond previously established quality control principles. The inaugural article in this series described the three major domains of expertise that are required to assess BI (as noted in Figure 1): botanical examination (botany), phytochemical analysis (chemistry), and biological efficacy and safety assessments (bioactivity, which encompasses the fields of pharmacology and toxicology).