Phytotherapothics for the therapy of obesity

Obesity is a world wide growing public health problem. Various chemical medicines exist in order to treat obesity, but there is an increasing intention to herbal products. Unfortunately, there are serious concerns about efficiency and standardization of these herbal products and form teas.Main phytotherapeutics used for treatment of obesity are Camellia sinensis, Paullinia cupana, Ilex paraguariensis, Hoodia gordonii, Amorphophallus konjac, Capsicum annuum, Garcinia cambogia, Ephedra sinica, and Pausinystalia yohimbe. Effective ingredients of these phytotherapeutics are caffeine, ephedrine, anthraquinone, polyphenoles (flavonoides, catechins), capsaicin, hydroxycitrate, synephrine, and polysaccharides. We selected 4 form tea and 1 herbal capsule and quality control studies were carried out by using various standards. For these purpose, European Pharmacopoeia analysis and thin layer chromatographic analysis with different solvent systems were used.Our studies on form teas, the characteristic elements of F. Sennae were found in microscopic analysis performed on the first three herbal tea sample containing senna and sennosides were identified with TLC analysis. The characteristic elements of Rh. Rhei were not found in the fourth herbal tea sample supposed to contain rhubarb but in TLC analysis some anthraquinone like zones were seen. In the analysis of the fifth sample, which was expected to contain senna leaf extract, some anthraquinone like zones and also quite big fluorescence reflecting zones belonged to unidentified chemicals were detected.There was no foreign material in one of the sample while the others? foreign material contents ranged between 2.5-4.5%. In European Pharmacopoeia, no values were found for loss on drying and ash content tests on herbal tea so couldn?t be made comments on this issue.