Microbiological Control of Thirty Traditional Herbal Formulations Marketed in Divo City in the Center Western of Côte d’ivoire

Abstract

Herbal medicinal products are widely used by the population. Unfortunately, the majority of these remedies in Côte d’Ivoire were not tested for efficacy, safety and quality. This work aims to investigate the microbial quality of some traditional herbal formulations produced and sold in      Divo city. For this study, 30 samples of liquid remedies were collected in 2017 and analyzed in the goal to check potential contaminations by pathogens. Microbial analysis was achieved according to method based on standard procedures for food safety in specific culture media. The results showed that the contamination level of yeasts and molds were evaluated between 1.3x104 to 7x105 CFU/g. The level of contamination of total coliforms, aerobic mesophilic flora and fecal streptococci varied from 1.5x104 to 7.5x105 CFU/g; 1.6x104 to 5x105 CFU/g then 1.6x104 to 4.3x105 CFU/g respectively. Nine (30%) of the samples were contaminated by total coliforms, one (3.33%) was contaminated by mesophilic aerobic mesophilic microorganisms, fourteen (46.66%) were contaminated by fecal streptococci and fourteen (46.66%) were contaminated by yeasts and fungi. Therefore, the use of these herbal remedies could generate risks of toxi-infection for consumers. It is necessary to train practitioners of traditional medicine on Good Manufacturing Practices in order to produce quality and safety herbal remedies for the market.