British Herbal Compendium.

Peter Bradley. British Herbal Compendium, vol. II. British Herbal Medicine Association, Bournemouth (2006) (409pp.,[pound sterling]59.5, hardcover), ISBN: 978-0-903032-12-4

This is the second volume of a most valuable companion to the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia. The second volume was meant to contain summary scientific information relative to the phytochemical, pharmacological, toxicological, and clinical data of herbs that was not covered in Volume I (published in 1992). Due to the information explosion in recent years, and the emphasis on monographing the most popularly used herbs, the original parameters were modified. Unlike the first volume, which was written by a number of contributors, this volume was researched and written by a single author, Peter Bradley. This monumental task required 14 years of diligent research of contemporary literature and unrivaled dedication to the task at hand. The author is commended for his devotion and employment of the most up to date literature reports on the herbs of interest. The author is also commended for his breadth of knowledge to be able to understand and interpret scientific data from a number of disparate areas of research, including natural products chemistry, biology, pharmacology, and clinical sciences. The author has most successfully demonstrated his knowledge of pharmacognosy in carrying out his task. As one of the primary writers of the "WHO Monograph on Selected Medicinal Plants", this reviewer is most appreciative of the enormity of the task and the dedication and knowledge required to carry out this most valuable work. Although the assignment took 14 years for the author to complete, the end product is worth the wait. It is one of the best-researched and well-documented references on the why's and how's for the use of herbal medicine/dietary supplements as alternative therapy in primary health care.

The text description of each of 80 herbs is organized into seven parts: constituents, pharmacology, clinical studies, therapeutics, safety, regulatory status, and references. Although the 80 herbs monographer represent only a small number of medicinal plants used around the globe, the list does include most of the important single herbs used as herbal medicine or dietary supplements in England (also European countries) and the USA, respectively. Each monograph begins with a brief introduction giving the drug name, Latin binomial, plant part, and geographical origin of the herb. Next comes the constituent section describing the major classes of phytochemicals found in the herb, with the chemical structure(s) of an example or two of the major or biologically important compound(s) graphically depicted. The pharmacological section describes the in vitro and in vivo biological actions, when available, of the herb reported in the most current literature up to the time of final editing. Of particular usefulness are the clinical studies and therapeutic sections describing, respectively, the available clinical and relevant therapeutic use (actions, indications, contraindications, side effects, drug interactions, and dosage) information equivalent to those described for a drug. Next comes a section on issues of safety in the use of the herb, followed by a very brief listing of the regulatory status of the herb in the UK, France, Germany, and USA (as a food). Finally, a listing of the reference literature consulted is presented.

In addition to the above-described monographs, the author included a chapter titled, ""General References", which gave a list of regulatory publications in the UK, France, Germany, USA, and the Council of Europe. Disappointingly, the author chose to cite only the sections of the USA laws governing drugs and foods (botanicals) generally regarded as safe (GRAS), and cited not a word about the 1996 Dietary Supplements Health Education and Safety Act (DSHEA), under which the herbs monographed in this Compendium are marketed in the USA for more than a decade. Aside from this one minor issue, the monographs are well done.

In summary, this reviewer recommends the addition of this monograph to health sciences libraries, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners, researchers and students, as well as pharmacies/pharmacists, and other health practitioners.

Harry H.S. Fong

Professor Emeritus of Pharmacognosy, Program for Collaborative Research in the Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA

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