Galenical & Selective extracts

A general principle of herbal medicine is that the activity of the medicine is due to a combination of active chemicals in the plant or the extract. Thus in most cases it is desirable to create an extract which most closely represents the chemical complexity of the dry plant material. Such extracts are often termed “Galenical extracts”, and more recently “full-spectrum extracts”.

However extracts which are not really comparable to the chemistry of dry herb are sometimes used in herbal medicine, in particular in tableting. These extracts are often called “Selective extracts” as their production methods have selectively removed one or more chemicals to a high degree, at the expense of other chemicals. Sometimes so-called “standardised extracts” are in reality selective extracts. The merits of Galenical and Selective extracts are debated at length in herbal medicine. General or blanket statements on this issue are usually flawed, and choice of extract can be very dependant upon the desired outcome of the medicine. For example, a selective standardised extract of Silybum marianum has been demonstrated to have excellent efficacy in severe hepatic damage, and also very good safety, making it a useful clinical choice. However in many other cases selective extracts may offer no additional – or even reduced – therapeutic benefit.