Vol. 2, Issue 2, Part A (2025)

Adulteration and substitution of crude drugs represent a persistent challenge in the global herbal medicine trade, especially within traditional systems like Ayurveda. This review explores the different forms, causes, and impacts of adulteration in medicinal plants and examines scientific approaches used to detect and prevent it. Various studies highlight that adulteration may occur deliberately for economic gain or inadvertently due to identification errors, scarcity, or confusion in vernacular names. Such practices compromise the quality, safety, and therapeutic value of herbal medicines, often leading to reduced efficacy or potential toxicity. Modern techniques such as DNA barcoding, chromatography, and spectroscopic analysis have significantly improved detection accuracy. However, lack of awareness, weak regulation, and insufficient training among collectors remain barriers. Strengthening pharmacognostic evaluation, enforcing good manufacturing practices (GMP), and enhancing standardization through regulatory bodies are crucial for ensuring authenticity and restoring public confidence in herbal drugs.