This book focuses on efficacy, toxicity, drug interactions, and abnormal clinical laboratory tests resulting from the use of herbal remedies. Although a few herbal remedies are safe and have efficacy (for example saw palmetto), many herbal remedies are toxic. This book guides in the interpretation of abnormal test results in otherwise healthy subjects due to use of herbal remedies. Chapters focus on interactions between herbals and pharmaceuticals, sources of contamination in herbal supplements, and analytical techniques used in the investigation of herbal remedies.

Section A: Introduction and Overview.
Chapter 1 An Introduction to Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) (Catherine A. Hammett-Stabler).

Chapter 2 Relatively Safe herbal Remedies (Angela M. Ferguson and Uttam Garg).

Chapter 3 Risk of Toxicity Associated with Unregulated Herbal Products (Steven W. Cotton).

Section B: Effects of Herbal Remedies on Specific Organ Systems.

Chapter 4 Herbal Remedies with Immunomodulatory Effects (Jeffrey K. Actor).

Chapter 5 Kelp and Abnormal Thyroid Functions (Bruce Rosenweig).

Chapter 6 Herbal Medications and the Patient with Chronic Kidney Disease (Mariana S. Markell).

Chapter 7 Abnormal Liver Function Tests Due to the Use of Hepatotoxic Herbals (Amitava Dasgupta and Catherine A. Hammett-Stabler).

Chapter 8 Homeopathic Medicine: Principle, Efficacy and Toxicity (Amitava Dasgupta).

Chapter 9 Common Indian Ayurvedic Medicines and Interactions with Western Medicines (Amitava Dasgupta).

Chapter 10 Tradition and Prospective of Arab and Islamic Herbal Medicine (Bashar Saad and Omar Said).

Chapter 11 Licorice and Laboratory Tests (Salvador F. Sena).

Section C: Drug Interactions.

Chapter 12 Drug Interactions with St. John’s Wort (Matthew D. Krasowski and John L. Blau).

Chapter 13 Drug-Herb Interactions in Patients with HIV/AIDS (Natella Y. Rakhmanina and John N. van den Anker).

Chapter 14 Interactions between Fruit Juices and Therapeutic Drugs: Impact on Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (Amitava Dasgupta).

Chapter 15 Drug interactions with Ginseng and Ginkgo Biloba (Ashok Tholpady and Semyon Risin).

Chapter 16 Drug Interactions with Garlic and Ginger Supplements (Charbel Abou-Diwan and James Ritchie).

Section D: Contamination.

Chapter 17 Heavy Metal Toxicity and Herbal Remedies (Christine LH Snozek and Loralie J Langman).

Chapter 18 Contamination of Herbal Remedies with Western Drugs: Role of Clinical Laboratory (Uttam Garg and Angela M. Ferguson).

Chapter 19 Beyond Herbals: Common Plant Poisonings (Catherine A. Hammett-Stabler).

Section E: Analytical implications.

Chapter 20 Interferences of Herbal Remedies with Immunoassays for Therapeutic Drugs (Amitava Dasgupta).

Chapter 21 Role of Laboratory in Detecting Plant Poisoning (Ronald W. McLawhon).