Sources of Microbial Contamination of Local Herbal Medicines Sold on the Open Market in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

Four hundred traditional herbalists operating in an open air market in Ilala, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania were interviewed using a questionnaire to establish the stage at which contamination takes place during the processesing of herbal medicine preparations. Among the interviewees, 82.0 % were true traditional medicine herbalists while the rest were vendors. Most of the practitioners had received primary school education while 17.0 % were illiterate. Seventy five percent of the herbalists displayed their medicines along the streets despite being aware of the potential hazards of microbial contamination at such locations. Of the true herbalists, 70 % personally processed the herbal medicines they sold. Most of these herbalists reported using boiled and cooled tap water in the preparation of liquid forms of the medicines. The containers in which the medicines were handled were washed using unboiled tap water and soap. Previous research has shown that the use of tap water in the processing of herbal medicines and exposure in the open market are possible sources of contamination. These results point to the need for educational intervention directed at traditional medicine practitioners to curb microbial contamination of herbal medicines.

Keywords: Traditional herbalists, herbal medicine, microbial contamination

East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 12 (2009) 19-22