The study's authors conclude that most herbal medicine users in Hyderabad face risks of developing gastrointestinal disorders from contaminated products.
Published Aug 26, 2025 | 8:59 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 26, 2025 | 8:59 AM
Herbal medicine.
Synopsis: A recent study suggests herbal medicines might pose serious health risks. Researchers tested 170 herbal drug samples from Hyderabad markets and discovered that one out of every two products contained harmful bacteria levels that exceeded international safety standards.
Across Hyderabad, thousands rely on herbal medicines for their daily health needs. Ashwagandha powder to help manage stress and boost energy, Brahmi powder to enhance memory and cognitive function, Shatavari to support women’s reproductive health, and Triphala to aid digestion and detoxification. These traditional remedies serve as primary healthcare for families throughout the city.
However, a recent study suggests these trusted medicines might pose serious health risks.
Researchers from the National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR-NIN), tested 170 herbal drug samples from Hyderabad markets and discovered that one out of every two products contained harmful bacteria levels that exceeded international safety standards.
The findings reveal a widespread problem in an industry that serves over 70 percent of India’s 1.3 billion people.
The study examined herbal medicines that line the shelves of local markets — from Ashwagandha tablets to Triphala juice — products that millions of Indians use daily as their primary healthcare option.
What the researchers found was troubling: 52.4 percen of these widely trusted medicines failed to meet the safety limits set by the US Pharmacopoeia.
“The present study revealed that aerobic bacterial contamination in solid herbal drug samples was alarmingly high, with 63.6 percent of the 110 samples exceeding the total aerobic bacterial limits set by the US Pharmacopoeia,” the study authors reported.
They pointed to “inadequate storage facilities, poor handling conditions, extended storage periods, and suboptimal infrastructure in the markets visited” as key factors behind the contamination.
The research tells a story of an industry struggling with basic quality control. In Hyderabad’s herbal medicine markets, where vendors sell everything from traditional powders to modern tablets, the study found a clear pattern: the more processed the product, the safer it tends to be.
Solid herbal preparations — the powders and tablets that make up the bulk of sales — showed the worst contamination rates. Among 110 solid samples tested, nearly half exceeded safety limits.
Some popular products showed complete failure rates: Every single sample of Ashwagandha powder, Shatavri powder, Shatavri tablet, Brahmi powder, Trikatu powder, dry ginger powder, and Yashtimadhu powder tested contained dangerous levels of bacteria.
The numbers paint a stark picture. Tanikaya powder failed safety tests 75 percent of the time. Lodhra bark powder failed 71.4 percent of tests.
Even the popular Triphala powder, used by thousands for digestive health, failed half the time. Ashwagandha tablet showed 37.5 percent failure rates, while both Amla powder and Triphala tablet failed 33.3 percent of the time, and Karakaya powder failed 25 percent of tests.
“Notably, six solid samples were contaminated with E coli, an intestinal bacterium, indicating possible faecal contamination,” the study authors noted, revealing the extent of hygiene failures in the supply chain.
The journey of herbal medicine from plant to patient tells a story of multiple contamination points. Farmers harvest medicinal plants from fields where soil, air, and water naturally contain microorganisms. Weather conditions — temperature, humidity, rainfall — affect how these microbes grow both before and after harvest.
Then comes the human factor. How workers collect, handle, transport, and store these materials determines whether they become medicine or a health hazard. In many cases, the study suggests, the answer is the latter.
“Among 30 semi-solid samples, 20 percent exceeded the total aerobic bacterial limits, while 23.3 percent had yeast and mould growth, with 10 percent surpassing the US Pharmacopoeia limits,” the researchers found.
They explained that semi-solid and liquid preparations fared better because of “the presence of preservatives like sodium benzoate and the heat treatment involved in their preparation, where liquid preparations were boiled to 110°C for 10 minutes and semi-solid drugs were heated to 105°C.”
This processing makes the difference between safety and risk. Liquid samples showed the lowest contamination rates, with only 1.8 percent exceeding safety limits. Semi-solid preparations, such as the popular Chyawanprash, performed better than solid forms but still showed concerning failure rates, with some products like Ashwagandha lehya failing safety tests 50 percent of the time.
Behind the statistics are real health risks that most consumers never consider. The study found a cocktail of harmful organisms in herbal medicines: Staphylococcus in 62.7 percent of solid samples, yeast and moulds in 84.6 percent, faecal coliforms in 32.7 percent, Pseudomonas in 31.8 percent, and E. coli in 5.5 percent.
“It was discovered in the current study that the herbal (medical plant) samples were not devoid of harmful bacteria. All of these elements might reduce the efficacy of the medicinal plant material and perhaps endanger customers,” the researchers warned.
These aren’t just abstract scientific concerns. The bacteria found in these medicines cause real illness. “For example, Pseudomonas spp. was found as the cause of Infantile gastroenteritis, transmitted by contaminated water and food,” the authors explained.
“Moreover, Staphylococcus spp. was involved in gastrointestinal illness. Lipolytic moulds, such as Penicillium spp. and Aspergillus niger, have been linked to food poisoning,” they added.
The contamination process follows a predictable pattern. “Generally speaking, the spoilage of medicinal plants is caused by the first or pioneering invaders of biodegrading microorganisms provide a pathway for succeeding invaders that break down complicated components and raise the moisture content,” the researchers explained, describing how contamination spreads through products over time.
The Hyderabad study reflects a worldwide challenge. At least 80 percent of the global population relies on herbal treatments as their primary method of healthcare, with use increasing dramatically over the past three decades. As more people turn to herbal medicines — driven by untreated illnesses and growing scientific understanding of herbal treatments — the safety stakes get higher.
International research supports the local findings. Studies from Brazil found that 51.5 percent of herbal medicine samples contained bacterial growth, with 35.6 percent showing fungal development and 31.8 percent exceeding safety limits for common bacteria, including S. aureus, Salmonella, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa.
The US Pharmacopoeia sets clear standards for what constitutes a safe herbal product: No more than 10³ fungi per gram, no more than 10⁴ aerobic bacteria per gram, and complete absence of E. coli, S. aureus, and Salmonella. Products that exceed these limits pose direct health risks to consumers.
Fortunately, the study found no Salmonella in any of the 170 samples tested, suggesting that while contamination is widespread, the most dangerous pathogens aren’t universally present. However, the presence of other harmful organisms still creates significant health risks.
The study’s authors conclude that most herbal medicine users in Hyderabad face risks of developing gastrointestinal disorders from contaminated products.
“The incidence of microbial contamination in herbal medications presents a considerable health risk to patients. It is crucial to enhance community knowledge about these possible risks,” the research team stated.
The economic implications extend beyond individual health costs. India serves as a major global supplier of herbal medicines, and quality control problems could affect international confidence in Indian herbal pharmaceutical exports.
Many consumers assume that natural products are inherently safe, but the study challenges this assumption. The research shows that without proper quality control, herbal medicines can be as dangerous as they are beneficial.
The researchers see their work as a foundation for change. “Furthermore, it is imperative to establish rules for the quality monitoring of herbal drugs in terms of their production and storage,” they emphasised. “Therefore, the data generated in this study contributes to the establishment of herbal drug regulations in India.”
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
