A Holistic Review of WHO Guidelines on Herbal Medicines: Quality Control from Cultivation to Consumption

2025-07-19T05:21:55+00:00

Herbal medicines remain a cornerstone of global healthcare, yet their quality, safety, and efficacy are highly dependent on stringent regulatory oversight. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has developed a series of guidelines addressing quality control across the herbal supply chain—from cultivation and harvesting to processing, manufacturing, and consumption. This review provides a holistic evaluation of these guidelines, highlighting their scope, strengths, and limitations. While WHO documents offer a broad, globally adaptable framework for Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and quality testing, their advisory nature and lack of enforceability lead to variable adoption across regions. Moreover, many guidelines are dated and do not incorporate modern analytical advancements such as metabolomics, DNA barcoding, and AI-assisted quality assessment. In contrast, regional regulatory frameworks such as those of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), China, and India (AYUSH) often provide more detailed specifications, pharmacopoeial standards, and enforceable quality benchmarks. This review critically compares WHO guidelines with such frameworks, identifies gaps, and emphasises the need for harmonisation and updates. Strengthening WHO guidance through integration with regional standards can ensure consistent global quality control and enhance the credibility of herbal medicines.

Asian Journal of Herbal Medicine and Phytochemistry Research

A Holistic Review of WHO Guidelines on Herbal Medicines: Quality Control from Cultivation to Consumption