Investigating some Selected Heavy Metals and Micronutrients Levels in Herbal Preparation Marketed in Nigeria : A Pilot Study

Background: The use of herbal remedies has become a global practice. The role of several inorganic elements in the maintenance of normal body metabolism has been documented. Previous studies examining trace metals content of approved herbal preparations ha ve focused mostly on heavy metals with little or no attention given to micronutrients. A pilot study on selected trace metal and micronutrient constituents of one of the herbal product s regularly consumed by the populace was conducted to br idge this gap. Method s : A well known herbal product Yoyo bitters (YYB) was purchased from one of the pharmaceutical shops within the Metropolis. As an inclusion criterion, the product was ascertained to have been registered with the National Agency for Fo od, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). The manufactured and expiry dates of the products were inspected and all were