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AHPA updates eight entries to the online Botanical Safety Handbook 2nd Ed.
December 29, 2025
New updates include top-selling herbs such as garlic, maca, milk thistle, and senna
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) announces updates to nine botanicals via the online Botanical Safety Handbook 2nd ed. in the December 2025 release of revised entries. For this year, 17 entries in the online Botanical Safety Handbook have been updated, and one has been added. Since 2018 when revisions to the online Botanical Safety Handbook were initiated, 183 entries have been updated, and 10 new entries have been added.
The following online entries have been updated in this release:
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Allium sativum (garlic) - A literature review identified drug interactions studies and case reports, clinical trials with adverse event reporting, adverse event case reports, pharmacological studies, reproductive studies and toxicity assays.
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Apium graveolens (celery – leaf, stalk, and root) - This new entry documents food use, adverse event reports, pharmacology studies, and toxicity studies for celery leaf, leaf stalk, and root parts.
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Ceratonia siliqua (carob) - A literature review added a Food Use section, as well as studies in the pharmacology and toxicity sections.
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Epimedium spp. (horny goat weed) - A review of new literature identified adverse event reports, animal and in vitro pharmacology studies, and toxicity studies.
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Lepidium meyenii (maca) - A review added a food use section, clinical trials with adverse event reporting, pharmacology, pregnancy, and toxicity studies.
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Pausinystalia johimbe (yohimbe) - A literature review identified interactions studies, clinical trials reporting adverse events, case reports of adverse events, pharmacology and toxicity studies.
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Salvia spp. (chia) - A updated review added information about acrylamide content in roasted chia seeds, as well as a Food Use section, adverse event reporting in clinical trials, and pharmacology studies.
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Silybum marianum (milk thistle) - A review of recent literature added studies in the interactions, adverse events, pharmacology and toxicity categories.
Beginning with 2026 membership renewals, AHPA members will have access to the online Botanical Safety Handbook as part of the digital resource library being made available as a benefit of AHPA membership. For non-members, information about subscriptions and hard copy purchases can be found on the AHPA website.
Subscribers to the online Botanical Safety Handbook can review short descriptions of updated entries in the "Revisions" panel on the online version homepage when they log in. The online Botanical Safety Handbook is undergoing review of existing entries and the addition of new entries to provide the latest safety information before it can be included in the next print edition of the handbook. AHPA continues to post additional updates to existing entries as well as develop new botanical entries.
AHPA's Botanical Safety Handbook is an essential tool for anyone who manufactures, recommends, or uses herbal products. The handbook provides safety information on over 500 species of herbs, derived from data compiled from clinical trials, pharmacological and toxicological studies, medical case reports, and historical texts. All entries are reviewed by an Expert Advisory Council that includes some of the most renowned herbal and integrative medicine experts in the United States.
