Adulterantes presentes en plantas medicinales de mercados municipales en Costa Rica.

The lack of regulation and quality control in Costa Rica on the medicinal plants has risks in public health. The aim of these work was to determinate presence of contaminants in chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) and juanilama (Lippia alba) commercialized in the municipal markets in San José, Heredia and Cartago, Costa Rica. They were collected samples of chamomile and juanilama in different sale points within the Cartago, Heredia and San José markets. The samples were analyzed fresh and through the criteria established by WHO; for the quality control of herbal products, the quantification of materials foreign to the traded product was established: insects, mixtures of soil minerals, plastic, glass and mold. The results were analyzed with the statistical program SPSS 22. In some markets of Heredia and San Jose products do not correspond to the therapeutic species offered, and they were sold. Chamomile is sold mainly in fresh conditions, while the juanilama varies its condition depending on the market. There was presence of adulterants, such as insects, soil, plastics and molds, in plants chamomile and juanilama sold in the provinces of Cartago, Heredia and San José. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]