Documental revision of the natural products authorized for marketing in Colombia

Abstract

Introduction: The group of natural products has gained much interest in recent years because of the popular belief that they are effective and more secure than synthetic medications, or because of recent health tendencies seeking to supplement nutrition.
Objective: To describe the group of natural products from a sanitary authority point of view.
Methodology: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study from the universe of Drug approvals of Natural Products presented by a database from the Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos (Colombian Sanitary Authority).
Results: Nearly half of the natural products legally accepted for marketing are herbal medicines and the other half are dietary supplements, along with specific-use products. The vegetable species with the greatest number of commercialization authorizations is artichoke Cynara scolymus  (alcachofa), followed by calendula (Calendula officinalis), valerian (Valeriana officinalis), garlic (Allium sativum), and ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba).  Foreign species predominate in the fabrication of commercialized herbal medicines.  A novel classification is proposed of the plant organ or drug employed in the production with which it is evident that leaves are used more with respect to any other plant organ.  Capsules, tablets, and solutions are the predominant pharmaceutical forms.
Conclusions: The group of natural products has demonstrated growing evolution in drug approvals in these last years; for the herbal medicines subgroup, national production predominates even though there is a minimum use of native species; while for dietary supplements and specific use products subgroups importation is predominant, evidencing the necessity for national policies to articulate the norms with Colombian needs and to stimulate the valorisation and sustainable use of our natural resources with adequate profit for the communities that will be reflected in greater national production using resources in which Colombia has competitive advantages.