Microbial Quality and Public Health Risks of Selected Herbal Remedies Sold in Open Markets in Owerri Metropolis, South Eastern, Nigeria

Herbal medicines are presently widely used in developed and developing countries for health care due to their affordability, accessibility and availability. Objective: The microbial quality of selected herbal remedies sold in open markets in Owerri, South Eastern, Nigeria was studied. Methods: The samples were bulked according to type and then serially diluted. The spread plate technique was used in inoculating the samples on the appropriate culture medium and then incubated. Standard laboratory protocols for microbiological studies and biochemical tests were employed for the identification of the microorganisms present in the samples. Results: The presence of bacterial species namely Bacillus, Corynebacterium, Micrococcus, Enterococcus and Staphylococcus spp was recorded. They were all gram positive and bacterial counts ranged from 1.0 x 106 to 7.8 x 107cfu/ml. Fungal isolates included Mucor, Saccharomyces and Penicillium spp. and fungal counts ranged from 3.0x103 to 1.3x108 cfu/ml respectively. Conclusion: The presence of these microorganisms in herbal remedies do not only make them hazardous, but might also change the physical, chemical and natural properties of the herbal remedies by altering the contents of active ingredients or converting them to toxic products. The production and consumption of herbal remedies should be properly supervised and monitored to ensure that only good quality products get to the consumers.